Political Opinions: Self-Interest or Group-Interest?

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Do you base your political opinions on your own self-interest or on what you believe is best for everyone affected by the issue in question? Or a combination? Or something else? And why?

Example:

You're in favor of a bill that would allow citizens to use flamethrowers to defend themselves against zombies. Are you thinking, "I would like to live in a society in which people are free to use flamethrowers to defend themselves against zombies"? Or "Our society would be healthier if people were free to use flamethrowers to defend themselves against zombies"?

And what kind of information would you gather and/or take into account before forming this opinion? Scientific research? News articles? Personal experience? Anecdotal evidence? Religious doctrines? And why?

(Also, I realize there might be established terminology for some of these concepts, but I've invented my own terminology because I don't know that much about political science.)

If it infringes on personal liberties, I would vote against it.

If it promotes personal liberties (or removes infringements upon such), I would vote for it.



Views follow long the lines of: "Social - self interest" What type of society I would want to live in. I chose that above "simple self interest" because what issues effect me effect us all.

Mine a mixture of both. It would really depend on the subject matter. For example, I believe it is in my right to own a gun, but not in society's right for everyone to own a gun.

What are personal liberties?

i try to think of the larger picture as much as possible because any negative effects on the whole will affect me, the individual, eventually. take the US's foreign policy...a great example of how self-interest without looking at the larger picture creates a negative effect later that effects many people.

woops, probably a mis-type but it still kinda works... individual rights is the translation.

My thinking is tribal and everyone should work together towards the greater good, but considering not many other people think about anyone but themselves it's only logical to look out for number one and hell with everyone else considering they don't give a crap, so why should I. Most people would bag the system and use other people given the chance because they are selfish greedy lazy morons.

Large-scale group interest, which in a lot of cases is good for me as well and even if it is not it is the morally right thing to do.

Social self-interest, my idea is for how a society would best work from my perspective.