Liberal versus Conservative

So where does the research lead us? How has the theory progressed through time? In 1988, a study of how we identify with liberalism and conservatism was done by John P. Robinson and John A. Fleishman. The study used closed-ended questions that correlated ideology with moral issues. This is seen most clearly in presidential elections, but is not necessarily party affiliated. The study discovered that there is a difference in self-reports of being liberal or conservative versus being Democrat or Republican. Those who claim to be liberal or conservative have greater differences separating them than do those who identify themselves as Democrat or Republican when it comes to moral issues (Robinson; 1988).