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Camps, not just parties: The dynamic foundations of affective polarization in multi-party systems
[journal article]
Abstract Concerns over affective polarization in Western democracies are growing. But which broader political distinctions are also affective demarcations? As inter-party cooperation is the rule in multi-party democracies, explaining affective polarization beyond partisan divisions is crucial. I argue that d... view more
Concerns over affective polarization in Western democracies are growing. But which broader political distinctions are also affective demarcations? As inter-party cooperation is the rule in multi-party democracies, explaining affective polarization beyond partisan divisions is crucial. I argue that demarcations between political camps deepen affective polarization, and country-level factors influence the relevance of these affective divides. Based on survey data from 23 Western democracies (1996-2019), I demonstrate that affect is most polarized between Left and Right camps, and between the Radical Right and other camps. Further, these divides are dynamic and depend on different country-level outcomes. The Left/Right divide disappears when Left and Right parties govern together, while the Radical Right divide is fortified with Radical Right electoral success. These findings highlight that affective polarization's group foundations extend beyond partisanship, and that affective polarization could even act as a defence mechanism against radical challengers.... view less
Keywords
Western world; polarization; political group; party; cooperation; multi-party system; political left; political right; right-wing radicalism; political identity; right-wing extremist party
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
affective polarization; hierarchical models; Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES)
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 1-11
Journal
Electoral Studies, 83 (2023)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102614
ISSN
0261-3794
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0