Does Political Incivility Polarize? Considering the Role of Intergroup Dynamics

• In Event: Partisan Violence and Incivility

Abstract

Demonization of the partisan out-group is commonly identified as a source of partisan polarization. Support for this claim can be found in the scholarly literature, which links exposure to elite incivility to affective polarization (Mutz 2015; Skytte 2020). Yet another set of findings suggests we should be skeptical of the claim that uncivil elite rhetoric intensifies the gap in feelings for in- and out-group, demonstrating that in-elite incivility can depolarize partisans (Costa 2020; Druckman et al. 2018). How do we reconcile these conflicting claims in the literature? I argue that whether in-elite political incivility aggravates or lessens affective polarization depends on two factors: strength of partisan identity and the presence of threat to group status. I evaluate whether (H1) the effect of in-elite political incivility on affective polarization is moderated by strength of partisan identity, leveraging the Huddy et al. (2015) multi-item partisan strength scale. Additionally, I evaluate whether (H2) in-elite political incivility aggravates affective polarization when the partisan out-group threatens in-group status. To test these claims, I conducted a 2 (no threat to group status/threat to group status) x 2 (in-elite civil negativity/in-elite incivility) survey experiment with a control group, via TESS (NORC) on a sample of partisan identifiers (n=2,250) in October 2021.

Author

• Bryan Gervais, University of Texas at San Antonio