Beyond Party Identities: Mapping and Analysing the Consequences of Issue-Based Affective Polarization in Europe

In light of the growing hostility towards people with opposing political views across Europe the concept of affective polarization has received significant scholarly attention. However, its current focus on parties as the main source of polarization neglects the effect of issues. Social identities can also be formed through opposing views on issue-specific questions. Moreover, there is surprisingly little empirical research on the consequences of affective polarization, which is often associated with a negative impact on the democratic system and social cohesion. To address these gaps, this study asks to what extent are issues polarizing and what are the political and social consequences for society. To answer this question, we propose and operationalize the concept of issue-based affective polarization, measuring like and dislike between groups defined by issues beyond party labels. Basis of our research is an original survey in ten European countries. We first map the level of issue-based affective polarization across Europe, identifying specific social groups that are more likely to be affectively polarized on the level of issues. To show possible implications of affective polarization, we analyse how it relates to democratic attitudes and interpersonal behaviour. Our work contributes to the literature on affective polarization by highlighting the importance of issue-based groups and their potential impact on society, exceeding the focus on partisanship.