Elite communication and affective polarization among voters

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4170140
AutoresHanna Bäck (0000-0002-0296-9419, Lund University, autor de correspondencia), Royce Carroll (0000-0002-3185-0329, University of Essex), Emma Renström, Emma A Renström (0000-0001-6593-2464, Kristianstad University), Alexander Ryan (0000-0002-7577-1032, Mid Sweden University)
Año2023
Volumen84
Páginas102639
Fecha de publicación2023-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaElectoral Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0261-3794 • E-ISSN: 1873-6890
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102639
OpenAlexW4380265300
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas20
Referencias citadas39

How does elite communication influence affective polarization between partisan groups? Drawing on the literature on partisan source cues, we expect that communication from in- or outgroup party representatives will increase affective polarization. We argue that polarized social identities are reinforced by partisan source cues, which bias perceptions of elite communication and result in increased intergroup differentiation. Further, we expect that the effect of such source cues is greater for voters with stronger partisan affinities. To evaluate our hypotheses, we performed a survey experiment among about 1300 voters in Sweden. Our analyses show that individuals who received a factual political message with a source cue from an in- or outgroup representative exhibited higher affective polarization, especially when they already held strong partisan affinities. This suggests that political elites can increase affective polarization by reinforcing existing group identities, and that this occurs in conjunction with biased interpretation of elite communication. The results improve our understanding of how political elites can influence affective polarization and add to previous research on party cues and attitude formation by demonstrating that such source cues can also increase intergroup differentiation

Elite · Outgroup · Perception · Polarization (electrochemistry · Political science · Politics · Survey data collection · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology