Active Disobedience and Perceptions of Justice during WWI

• In Event: 172 - Section on Peace, War and Social Conflict Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Peace and Peacebuilding
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Peace, War and Social Conflict in the American Context

Abstract

Running on a platform that opposed U.S. involvement in World War I (WWI), Socialist candidate Victor Berger was elected to Congress by Wisconsin voters in 1918. The House of Representatives, however, refused to seat Berger, labeling his stance against entrance into WWI as seditious. In a special election to fill his vacant seat, Berger’s constituents re-elected him even though he would not be allowed to take his place in Congress. This timely paper draws on theories of decision making and perceptions of justice to explain the continued voter support and their decision to essentially forfeit their representation in the House. Viewing Congress’s treatment of Berger as corrupt and no longer perceiving the government as fully legitimate, these voters preferred to support the candidate they wanted rather than follow the directive from the House and the Wisconsin governor and switch to another candidate whom the House would have deemed acceptable.

Author

• Elizabeth A. Hoffmann, Purdue University