Electoral competition sharpens divisions among voters in Israel.
Natural Experiment Findings
- Examined seven consecutive Israeli election studies post-dating the 2015 Knesset elections.
- Showed that increased electoral salience directly correlated with higher affective polarization levels across partisan lines.
Survey Experiment on Cooperation
- Leveraged inherent ambiguity during coalition formation after Israel's 22nd Knesset was elected.
- Primed respondents regarding the likelihood of a unity government forming.
- Found that enhancing perceptions of potential party cooperation significantly reduced partisan animosity and promoted tolerance.
Theoretical Contributions
- Provides empirical evidence connecting endogenous institutional arrangements with affective polarization.
- Demonstrates an applied remedy—shaping expectations of interparty collaboration—to mitigate political hostility.
