Do Warm Party Relations Reduce Affective Polarization in the Real World?

• In Event: Causes of Polarization and Potential Paths to Transcend It

Abstract

Do warm group relations mitigate affective polarization in the real world? Addressing this question affords us with a crucial resolution to the increasing concern regarding affective polarization. While some existing scholars posit the plausibility of this hypothesis, little is known about the actual amelioration of affective polarization in the real world as a result of warm inter-group relations. I address this question by focusing on the case of the murder of a British MP, Jo Cox, where political elites from the two largest political camps, the Conservative and Labour parties, expressed profound condolences together. I argue that the warm relationships between the two parties subsequent to the murder promoted a significant decline in affective polarization among supporters of these parties. Using a quasi-experimental design, I find supportive evidence for my argument. Specifically, Conservative supporters exhibit increased favorability toward the Labour party and its leader after the murder in comparison to the improvement of out-party sentiment among Labour supporters. In contrast, I fail to find robust evidence of the effects of warm interactions on Conservative and its leader favorability among Labour supporters. This paper propounds a potential remedy to the pervasive inter-party hostility we currently face.

Author

• Wataru Onishi, University of California, Riverside