As Above, So Below: Elite Rhetoric, Partisan Group Consciousness, and the Emotional Foundations of Polarization and Democratic Decline in American Politics

• In Event: Shaping Attitudes about Democracy

Brief Overview

PGC theory shows how elite rhetoric heightens partisan emotion and weakens democratic norms. Using a generalized group consciousness index on CES data, I find strong affective, but limited behavioral effects and robust elite cue responsiveness.

Author

• God'swill Osa, University of Texas at Austin