Partisan Animosity as Blame: A Unifying and Generative Framework for Understanding and Transforming Affective Polarization in the Political Sphere

Academic AbstractPartisan animosity is on the rise in many nations around the globe. Given its significant implications, it is imperative to establish a clear conceptualization of partisan animosity that can aid efforts to reduce it. To address this need, we present a novel framework that conceptualizes partisan animosity as an attitude of blame directed toward political outgroups. Drawing from the literature on moral psychology, we construct a comprehensive model of the psychology of blame. Then, we use that model as an interpretive lens to understand existing interventions that have reduced partisan animosity. Finally, we suggest a variety of possible future interventions inspired by our framework. By adopting this blame-based perspective, our article sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of partisan animosity, provides a unifying framework for understanding existing work, and stimulates novel ideas for future research.Public AbstractPartisan animosity, hostility directed toward political outparties, has been growing in many areas of the world, with significant negative impacts on society and politics. This article offers a new perspective on this growing animosity, proposing that partisan animosity reflects an attitude of blame that partisans direct toward each other. Drawing from insights in moral psychology, we present a model of blame, describing how it operates, and use the model to understand both the nature of partisan animosity and potential pathways for intervention. Our model contributes to understanding partisan animosity with the ultimate goal of informing interventions to reduce it.