Loading [MathJax]/extensions/tex2jax.js

The poles in polarization: Social categorization and affective polarization in multiparty systems

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Adrian Jacob Rothers

External Research Organisations

  • Philipps-Universität Marburg

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number102908
JournalElectoral Studies
Volume95
Early online date5 Mar 2025
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 5 Mar 2025

Abstract

A challenge in adapting the concept of affective polarization to multiparty systems has been to determine who is polarized against whom. I propose a strategy to uncover the different ways in which people construe the political field – that is, how they categorize the party landscape in terms of “us” and “them” from commonly-used survey data. Using 2023 panel data from Germany, a multiparty democracy, I show that people are polarized in opposing camps along three different divides: between Left and Right, between Mainstream and Rightwing Populists, and between Center and Extreme. To understand what people are polarized over, I explore the issue differences that underpin each of the divides. Lastly, I examine the associations between affective polarization and democratic attitudes across camps and find considerable variation in those associations. This variation suggests that perhaps not all affective polarization should be seen as equally problematic.

Keywords

    Affective polarization, Multiparty systems, Social categorization, Ideological polarization, Democratic attitudes, Alliances

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

The poles in polarization: Social categorization and affective polarization in multiparty systems. / Rothers, Adrian Jacob.
In: Electoral Studies, Vol. 95, 102908, 06.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Rothers AJ. The poles in polarization: Social categorization and affective polarization in multiparty systems. Electoral Studies. 2025 Jun;95:102908. Epub 2025 Mar 5. doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102908
Download
@article{57e55d41447842449acc6fc69d08ddcc,
title = "The poles in polarization: Social categorization and affective polarization in multiparty systems",
abstract = "A challenge in adapting the concept of affective polarization to multiparty systems has been to determine who is polarized against whom. I propose a strategy to uncover the different ways in which people construe the political field – that is, how they categorize the party landscape in terms of “us” and “them” from commonly-used survey data. Using 2023 panel data from Germany, a multiparty democracy, I show that people are polarized in opposing camps along three different divides: between Left and Right, between Mainstream and Rightwing Populists, and between Center and Extreme. To understand what people are polarized over, I explore the issue differences that underpin each of the divides. Lastly, I examine the associations between affective polarization and democratic attitudes across camps and find considerable variation in those associations. This variation suggests that perhaps not all affective polarization should be seen as equally problematic.",
keywords = "Affective polarization, Multiparty systems, Social categorization, Ideological polarization, Democratic attitudes, Alliances",
author = "Rothers, {Adrian Jacob}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author",
year = "2025",
month = mar,
day = "5",
doi = "10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102908",
language = "English",
volume = "95",
journal = "Electoral Studies",
issn = "0261-3794",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",

}

Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - The poles in polarization

T2 - Social categorization and affective polarization in multiparty systems

AU - Rothers, Adrian Jacob

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author

PY - 2025/3/5

Y1 - 2025/3/5

N2 - A challenge in adapting the concept of affective polarization to multiparty systems has been to determine who is polarized against whom. I propose a strategy to uncover the different ways in which people construe the political field – that is, how they categorize the party landscape in terms of “us” and “them” from commonly-used survey data. Using 2023 panel data from Germany, a multiparty democracy, I show that people are polarized in opposing camps along three different divides: between Left and Right, between Mainstream and Rightwing Populists, and between Center and Extreme. To understand what people are polarized over, I explore the issue differences that underpin each of the divides. Lastly, I examine the associations between affective polarization and democratic attitudes across camps and find considerable variation in those associations. This variation suggests that perhaps not all affective polarization should be seen as equally problematic.

AB - A challenge in adapting the concept of affective polarization to multiparty systems has been to determine who is polarized against whom. I propose a strategy to uncover the different ways in which people construe the political field – that is, how they categorize the party landscape in terms of “us” and “them” from commonly-used survey data. Using 2023 panel data from Germany, a multiparty democracy, I show that people are polarized in opposing camps along three different divides: between Left and Right, between Mainstream and Rightwing Populists, and between Center and Extreme. To understand what people are polarized over, I explore the issue differences that underpin each of the divides. Lastly, I examine the associations between affective polarization and democratic attitudes across camps and find considerable variation in those associations. This variation suggests that perhaps not all affective polarization should be seen as equally problematic.

KW - Affective polarization

KW - Multiparty systems

KW - Social categorization

KW - Ideological polarization

KW - Democratic attitudes

KW - Alliances

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85219410489&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102908

DO - 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102908

M3 - Article

VL - 95

JO - Electoral Studies

JF - Electoral Studies

SN - 0261-3794

M1 - 102908

ER -