One of the reasons I became interested in politics is because of the ways that different politicians refer to certain ideas/ideals as somehow "sacred"; my interest in history also comes from how different political or community values affect the religious realm.
This article from the Sunday NYTimes, written by a psychology professor, discusses how our political groupthink/tribalism revolves around "sacred" narratives that have nothing to do with economics.
Another article about one of the "hottest" academic political scientists today posits that economic success comes only to those countries who are able to get citizens at all levels involved and invested in growth. I think these two viewpoints are eminently sensible, as I see both happening historically--getting a nation's people involved in an economic project involves making them feel "tribally" connected, that they have a stake in a positive "moral economy." Can you work either of these explanatory narratives into your own projects?
