Conforming to Deviate: Public Support for Partisan Violence and the Interaction Between the Needs for Uniqueness and Belonging

Abstract Although most partisans are averse to political violence against the outgroup a small, unique fringe can have disastrous political consequences, shaping political divisions and fueling more antagonistic conflict. Building on the social identity approach and optimal distinctiveness theory, this paper theorizes that a need for uniqueness and a need to belong can interact to fuel violent partisanship. Across two original cross-sectional U.S. surveys (total N = 3,447), I find that partisans can balance the needs for uniqueness and belonging by becoming superior conformers to the group, differentiating themselves by their elevated levels of prototypicality. Thus, this study finds that when one’s need to belong to their group is high, need for uniqueness leads to support for partisan violence. This work suggests a motivational perspective on partisan radicalization, examining the roots of social influence processes underlying partisan intra group dynamics. Depending on the group context at any given time, need for uniqueness and need to belong can impoverish or enrich democracy.