Value poaching: framing the same values for competing political ends

Previous research has established that rival issue frames that target competing values can lead public opinion in different directions. This article examines rival frames that target the same values but for competing political ends. We report on an experiment (N = 503) that examines the framing of a controversy over extreme anti-immigrant speech. Both supporters and opponents of the speech framed their positions around free expression and democracy. Such framing influenced judgments about how these values were upheld by permitting versus banning hate speech. These judgments, in turn, affected tolerance for such speech. We conclude that the impact of values on political attitudes depends not just on the framing of the issue but also on the framing of the values themselves.