2025/05/21 by Marta Kołczyńska · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering #Social Capital and Networks #Social Media and Politics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1755773925000116
openalex publication_date 2025/05/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract Growing concerns with political polarization have led to a proliferation of research on its consequences. This paper presents results of a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 25 articles that study the effects of polarization on participation. We categorize studies depending on polarization type (affective or ideological), level (individual or system), and participation type (electoral or non-electoral), to analyze the theoretical arguments proposed by studies in each category. According to a meta-analysis of all 104 coefficients describing the focal effect, individual-level affective and ideological polarization have a positive effect on participation even after publication bias is accounted for. The same analysis finds no evidence of an effect of system-level ideological polarization on election turnout net of publication bias. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges researchers of polarization and participation face, as well as gaps in the extant literature and opportunities for further research on this topic.