Belief in the Social Contract is a Determinant of Public Policy Support

Public support is necessary for implementing public policies that aim to solve societal challenges such as climate change, unprecedented levels of waste, and the retirement savings gap. However, interventions designed to increase public support seldom work. For this reason, identifying individual differences that determine people’s support for public policies is an important task. Here, we propose that belief in the social contract helps to bridge that gap. Using data from 4,221 respondents from 5 countries across 4 continents (Australia, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States) we develop a validated measure of people’s belief in the social contract. Using data from 1,555 respondents from those same 5 countries, we find that belief in the social contract predicts support for carbon tax (Studies 1-2), an array of system-level climate policies (Study 2), and public policies spanning 5 issues regardless of policy cost (Study 3). This positive association was unique, predicting support over and above previously identified factors of political ideology, demographics, trust, and social justice orientation. By validating a novel measure of belief in the social contract and showing its predictive value, we offer a new tool for targeting those who are favorably inclined toward costly policies.