Explaining Differences in Affective Polarization in Latin America

• In Event: Political Parties and American Democracy Mini-Conference I: Polarization in Developing Democracies

Abstract

During the last two decades, polarization has increased in both established and young democracies. Political elites and citizens do not merely disagree on policy issues, such as how to manage climate change or whether to adopt single-payer health care. People of different political persuasions increasingly dislike and distrust each other at a personal level. Because this affective polarization cannot be resolved via political negotiation, it provides the grounds for disagreement over basic facts, political intolerance, and democratic erosion. The causes of affective polarization are not well understood. In this paper, we focus on social characteristics as correlates of polarization. What type of voters are more prone to express dislike and distrust for members of the opposite political side at a personal level? Using data from CSES from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, we focus on social characteristics such as age, gender, income, education, and religion to assess which types of voters are more likely to show stronger dislike towards political outgroups.

Authors

• Luis Schiumerini, University of Notre Dame

• Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University

• Virginia Oliveros, Tulane University