Victimization Assumptions Map Politics

Political conflict often hinges not on abstract values but on competing answers to who counts as vulnerable: whether fetuses, immigrants, the nation, the environment, or the divine are seen as the rightful 'victims' that moral policy should protect. Framing disputes as divergent assumptions of victimization (AoVs) makes it easier to predict which coalitions, narratives, and rhetorical moves will succeed. — If adopted, this frame shifts debate from proving abstract moral principles to debating which subjects are recognized as vulnerable, changing persuasion strategies, messaging, and policy priorities.