Partisan Schadenfreude and the Demand for Candidate Cruelty

• In Event: Negative Partisanship, Affective Polarization, and Partisan Hostility

Abstract

We establish the prevalence of partisan schadenfreude -- that is, taking "joy in the suffering" of partisan others. Analyzing attitudes on health care, taxation, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic, we find that a sizable portion of the American mass public engages in partisan schadenfreude and that these attitudes are most commonly expressed by the most ideologically extreme Americans. Additionally, we provide evidence of the demand for candidate cruelty, finding a sizable portion of the American public to be more likely than not to vote for candidates who promise to pass policies that "disproportionately harm" supporters of the opposing political party. Finally, we demonstrate that partisan schadenfreude is highly predictive of this likelihood to vote for cruel candidates and much more predictive of this likelihood than strong partisanship or ideological extremity. In sum, our results suggest that partisan schadenfreude is widespread and has disturbing implications for American political behavior.

Authors

• Steven W. Webster, Indiana University

• Adam Glynn, Emory University

• Matt Motta, Boston University School of Public Health