Affective Polarization in Comparative and Longitudinal Perspective

2023/02/01 by Diego Garzia, Frederico Ferreira da Silva, Simon Maye · 109 citations
Chemistry · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Affect (linguistics) #Chemistry #Communication #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Longitudinal study #Mathematics #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Political science #Populism, Right-Wing Movements #Psychology #Social Media and Politics #Social psychology #Statistics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/poq/nfad004

published in Public Opinion Quarterly 87(1), 219-231 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2023/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

Existent research shows that affective polarization has been intensifying in some publics, diminishing in others, and remaining stable in most. We contribute to this debate by providing the most encompassing comparative and longitudinal account of affective polarization so far. We resort to a newly assembled dataset able to track partisan affect, with varying time series, in eighteen democracies over the last six decades. We present results based on two different operational measures of affective polarization: Reiljan's Affective Polarization Index, based on reported partisans only, and Wagner's weighted distance from the most liked party, based on the whole electorate. Our reassessment of affective polarization among partisans confirms that an intensifying trend is observable in a number of countries but it is, by no means, generalizable to all established democracies. Regarding the longitudinal assessment of affective polarization among the electorate, we confirm that US citizens have become more affectively polarized over time.

Citations

• Robust Standard Errors in Small Samples: Some Practical Advice
• (Mis)perceptions of Partisan Polarization in the American Public
• Affective Polarization or Partisan Disdain?
• The Group Basis of Partisan Affective Polarization
• ‘Fear and loathing across party lines’ (also) in Europe: Affective polarisation in European party systems

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