Moral Appeals

Moral appeals – references to morally right and wrong principles – are strategically employed in a wide range of political communication. Given their affective and motivational relevance, moral appeals have become salient frames for mobilizing and persuading voters, but are also associated with political polarization and violence. Understanding how moral appeals are used and exert political influence has thus become a growing, interdisciplinary scientific endeavor. We herein outline a short introduction into this quickly emerging field. Specifically, we provide the reader with an overview of how moral appeals have been defined and operationalized in political communication, and survey the factors that explain the strategic use of moral appeals. We then conclude with a short discussion and outlook of the wide-ranging effects of exposure to moral appeals on democratic and societal processes.