Abstract
Affective polarization - partisans' dislike and distrust of those from the other party - has reached historically high levels in the United States. While numerous studies estimate its effect on apolitical outcomes (e.g., dating and economic transactions), we know much less about its effects on political beliefs. We argue that those who exhibit high levels of affective polarization politicize ostensibly apolitical issues and actors. An experiment focused on responses to COVID-19 that relies on pre-pandemic, exogenous measures of affective polarization supports our expectations. Partisans who harbor high levels of animus towards the other party do not differentiate the United States' response to COVID-19 from that of the Trump administration. Less affectively polarized partisans, in contrast, do not politicize evaluations of the country's response. Our results provide evidence of how affective polarization, apart from partisanship itself, shapes substantive beliefs. Affective polarization has political consequences and political beliefs stem, in part, from partisan animus.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 223-234 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Experimental Political Science |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 24 2021 |
Funding
This research is financially supported by the Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Arizona. None of the authors have a financial conflict of interest, hold an office that creates a conflict of interest, or has a relative that creates a conflict of interest. No other party has the right to review paper prior to circulation.
Keywords
- Affective polarization
- COVID-19
- attribution of responsibility
- experiment
- partisanship
- policy opinion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
