Connecting democratic politics to social cooperation debates, this research explores partisan trust discrimination.
Social Identity + Cognitive Heuristics
The theory posits that partisanship acts as a powerful identity marker in electoral democracies.Interparty Competition Amplifies Trust Gaps
Evidence from behavioral experiments across eight democracies shows these trust gaps are ubiquitous and larger than those stemming from other social identities foundational to the party system.Critical Findings
The research concludes: heightened political competition significantly shapes how partisanship influences interpersonal trust, a key foundation for cooperation.
