"She’s a 10 But...": Democratic Norms among the Affectively Unpolarized

• In Event: Democratic Norms among the Mass Public

Abstract

Amid extensive interest in affective polarization and its consequences for democratic norms, the affectively unpolarized risk to remain neglected. The present paper draws attention to this group. We theorize why they matter and explore their size and democratic attitudes. Cluster analyses and regressions from three representative cross-sectional surveys (ANES 2016, ANES 2020, YouGov 2024) provide three conclusions. First, substantial shares of the American population cluster as affective unpolarized, even if their size declines from 2016 (46%) to 2024 (XX%). Second, among the unpolarized, individuals cluster into one group feeling lukewarm (“The Ambivalent”) and one feeling cold (“The Skeptics”) toward both parties. Third, distinct patterns of support for democratic norms and political violence between the polarized and the unpolarized, as well as within the unpolarized, suggest that the unpolarized deserve more scholarly attention. We discuss normative and practical implications of these findings and avenues for future research on the affectively unpolarized.

Authors

• Luca Versteegen, University of Gothenburg

• Lilliana Hall Mason, Johns Hopkins University