Partisan Social Identity and its Role in Rising Affective Polarization

How does partisanship as a form of social identity contribute to affective polarization? Affective polarization is defined as the rising animosity felt between opposing partisans and is seen as the result of either growing policy disagreements or the strengthening of partisanship. Social Identity Theory suggests that partisanship acts as a form of social identity that increases in-party favoritism and out-party animosity. Partisanship is a powerful form of social identity that drives affective polarization because politics play into the inherent in-group and out-group dynamics that encourage animosity. This paper investigates this relationship using the 2024 American National Election Study to explore the role that partisan social identity plays in increasing affective polarization. I expect a stronger sense of partisan identity salience will contribute to higher feelings of in-party favoritism and even stronger feelings of out-party animosity. Understanding this phenomenon is important as affective polarization has been linked to support for violence and anti-democratic attitudes.