People follow their emotions. It feels bad for a poor person to get a "handout", and it feels good for a "bad" for a bad person to be punished. That's pretty much it. Multiply it by "my in-group is good and my outgroup is bad", and you get conservatism.

Notice that it's a stupid world view. It's at the level of toddlers.

If we want to change how these people act, we need to reach them on their level. Facts won't do it. They're not listening to facts. You need to make them feel good when they do the right thing.

It does feel like being held hostage by a cranky toddler, yes. We have to pander and beg and appease them because they're too selfish and stupid to realize it would be better for everyone, including them, if they just cooperated.