Core Values Drive Polarization Beyond Ideology or Partisanship

American Politics @PSR&M 1 R file 4 Stata files 7 datasets Dataverse

Affective polarization in US politics has surged, driven by core value differences rather than issues or partisanship.

Findings:

Core value extremity significantly fuels disdain for the out-party and its candidates.
This effect holds independent of issue attitude extremity or partisan/ideological identification strength.

Data & Methods:

Analysis of ANES data spanning 1988-2016 reveals this connection in cross-sectional studies.
Panel data from 1992-1996 demonstrates that past value extremity predicts future increased polarization.

Why It Matters:

These results highlight core values as a fundamental driver of political division.

Article card for article: Value Extremity Contributes to Affective Polarization in the U.S.

Value Extremity Contributes to Affective Polarization in the U.S. was authored by Adam Enders and Robert Lupton. It was published by Cambridge in PSR&M in 2021.