The end of the end of ideology.

Abstract in brief

• The concept of the "end of ideology" was proposed after WWII, suggesting that ordinary citizens' political attitudes lack stability, motivation, and significant differences between liberal and conservative views.
• For many years, this idea led researchers to ignore the study of ideology, but recent evidence from political and psychological research shows that there are meaningful differences in political and psychological traits related to ideological self-placement.
• Factors such as situational variables (e.g., threat levels) and dispositional traits (e.g., openness, conscientiousness) influence whether individuals lean liberal or conservative, helping to explain political divides like those between red and blue states.