Affective Polarization and Social Identities Beyond Parties

Abstract

Affective polarization is often studied as a party-driven phenomenon, but many contemporary divides are anchored in identities and conflicts that do not map neatly onto partisanship. The papers in this panel examine how group cues and issue communication (invoking shared national belonging, educational status, or contested policy domains) shape affective boundaries between citizens, and why these effects can be uneven across groups and contexts. The papers explore various mechanisms through which identity cues and political communication translate disagreement into social distance and hostility, and why these dynamics matter for democratic life.

Title	Details
Recognizing What Is (Not) Shared: National Identity Primes Fail to Reduce Polarization in Six Western Democracies	View Paper Details
Framing Climate Change on Social Media: Emotional Pathways to Affective Climate Polarization	View Paper Details
Smarty-Pants Vs Simpletons? Exploring Affective Polarisation Between Education-Based Groups	View Paper Details
Out-Party Animosity and Electoral Legitimacy: How Expressive Partisan Reactions Shape Electoral Legitimacy	View Paper Details