Partisan Rationalization and Evaluations of (Un)Democratic Behaviors: The Amplifying Role of Affective Polarization

This study examines how partisan identities shape citizens’ perceptions of democratic and undemocratic behavior by politicians. Drawing on theories of partisan-motivated reasoning, we argue that partisan identities serve as powerful directional goals that unconsciously bias how citizens evaluate political behaviors against democratic principles. Crucially, we theorize that affective polarization amplifies these partisan rationalization biases by strengthening in-party attachment and out-party animosity. Through a survey experiment in South Korea, we find that citizens systematically rationalize their democratic perceptions based on partisan affiliation, perceiving both regular and undemocratic behaviors by co-partisan politicians as more democratic than similar behaviors by out-partisan politicians. Remarkably, citizens even view undemocratic behaviors by co-partisan politicians as more democratic than regular behaviors by out-partisan politicians. Furthermore, we demonstrate that affective polarization significantly amplifies these partisan rationalization biases. Citizens with higher levels of affective polarization are more susceptible to partisan rationalization of democratic perceptions and show stronger perceptual biases compared to those with lower affective polarization. These findings help explain how partisan rationalization and affective polarization can distort citizens’ perceptions of democracy, potentially undermining their ability to serve as a check against democratic backsliding.