Public Opinion 2 - Affective Polarization

Affective Polarization

people increasingly dislike people from the other party

Partisan Identification

Psychological Attachment: feeling at home with people who vote for the same party

Preference Similarities: share similar preferences with the people who call themselves Dems or Republicans

Tally of Experiences: over time watching how a party behaves makes me like them more or less

Measuring Public Opinion

asking people how they feel and generating a temp graph

asking people how they feel quickly from BIAT screenings

Explanations and Context

affective polarization shows up in surveys but whether it matters is context dependent and explanations too, are context dependent

Does dislike or distrust mean people change the way they live their lives

no, people in surveys will also demand compromise, then punish politicians for compromising