partisan animosity
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:05 am
What is partisan animosity?
Partisan animosity refers to the related concepts of affective polarization (how much you dislike members of the other party), decreasing social trust (how much you trust others), decreasing respect for democratic norms (separation of powers; checks and balances), and support for political violence. This animosity has increased substantially over the last 30 years and has spilled over into non-political settings, impacting who we will hire, date, and do business with.
More concerning is that these trends could also be related to an increasing tolerance for democratic norm violations, or even acceptance of political violence, such as we saw during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, or the 2017 shooting of House GOP Whip Steve Scalise, when Scalise was shot in Virginia during the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity.
Reducing political animosity across the aisle
Unlike ideological polarization—which is the study of divergent and often partisan beliefs on ideological issues—partisan animosity and affective polarization primarily look at the emotional reactivity to opposing beliefs, often reflected across partisan lines.
By and large, many Americans agree on “kitchen table” issues that affect our daily lives, including the desire to reduce inflation, limit the influence of big money on elections, and curb political polarization.
America has historically been a middle-of-the-road nation, with large groups of Americans on both sides of the aisle sharing common values and many of the same political goals. But politicians—and their communication channels, predominantly through the media and on social media—often play to the fringes in order to fire up their respective bases. The spillover effect has been an uptick in animosity and even political violence.
Do you agree?
Partisan animosity refers to the related concepts of affective polarization (how much you dislike members of the other party), decreasing social trust (how much you trust others), decreasing respect for democratic norms (separation of powers; checks and balances), and support for political violence. This animosity has increased substantially over the last 30 years and has spilled over into non-political settings, impacting who we will hire, date, and do business with.
More concerning is that these trends could also be related to an increasing tolerance for democratic norm violations, or even acceptance of political violence, such as we saw during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, or the 2017 shooting of House GOP Whip Steve Scalise, when Scalise was shot in Virginia during the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity.
Reducing political animosity across the aisle
Unlike ideological polarization—which is the study of divergent and often partisan beliefs on ideological issues—partisan animosity and affective polarization primarily look at the emotional reactivity to opposing beliefs, often reflected across partisan lines.
By and large, many Americans agree on “kitchen table” issues that affect our daily lives, including the desire to reduce inflation, limit the influence of big money on elections, and curb political polarization.
America has historically been a middle-of-the-road nation, with large groups of Americans on both sides of the aisle sharing common values and many of the same political goals. But politicians—and their communication channels, predominantly through the media and on social media—often play to the fringes in order to fire up their respective bases. The spillover effect has been an uptick in animosity and even political violence.
Do you agree?