The Polarizing Effects of Partisan Sorting

72 Pages Posted: 19 Aug 2013

See all articles by Lilliana H Mason

Lilliana H Mason

University of Maryland, College Park

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

Partisan-ideological identity sorting is capable of driving mass political behavior. As recent work in social psychology demonstrates, social identities such as party and ideology are powerful motivators of bias, activism and anger. Furthermore, when multiple social identities come into alignment, this alignment strengthens the effects of these identities on behavior, and strengthens the cognitive and motivational bases of ingroup bias and negative emotion by increasing the perceived differences between the groups, regardless of the true differences between them. Thus the effect of political identities and the alignment between them can occur independently of the extremity or importance of an individual’s held issue positions. Even if, as argued by many political scientists, the American electorate remains a relatively moderate nation in terms of issue positions, it is still possible for the psychological effects of political sorting to affect important political behavior such as partisan bias, political activism and anger at political opponents. This theory is supported by data from a nationally-representative sample collected by Polimetrix from a National Science Foundation grant.

Suggested Citation

Mason, Lilliana H, The Polarizing Effects of Partisan Sorting (2013). APSA 2013 Annual Meeting Paper, American Political Science Association 2013 Annual Meeting, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2303254

Lilliana H Mason (Contact Author)

University of Maryland, College Park ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States

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