Partisan polarization now extends to social life and fear of the other party

Evidence

In a 2016 Pew Research Center study, majorities in both parties expressed very unfavorable views of the other party and found the other party a source not only of frustration but also of fear and anger. “More than half of Democrats (55%) say the Republican Party makes them ‘afraid,’ while 49% of Republicans say the same about the Democratic Party.” The proportions are higher among partisans who report “high political engagement.” “Thermometer ratings” of hot to cold are very low (“frigid”) for the other party’s candidate. Large percentages of partisans say the people of the opposite party are more closed-minded, immoral, lazy, dishonest, and unintelligent than other Americans. That helps account for a telling statistic: 49 percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats said they would be “displeased” if their child married someone of the other party. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 229

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the concept of affective polarization studied in political science and to Us-vs-Them dynamics in the reader’s work on enmity and out-group perception. — connects to: Public lamenting of polarization may itself deepen partisan animosity. — Rachel Hartman et al., Interventions to Reduce Partisan…, 73; Strong affective polarization across groups erodes democratic discourse — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 734; Exposure to opposing political views often increases rather than reduces polarization. — , The Braided Reading EPUB: 5-Year…, 1475 (+3 more)
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: has this affective-polarization trend deepened or reversed since the 2016 Pew study?

Broader Connections

• Strong affective polarization across groups erodes democratic discourse #expands (0.85) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 734
• Exposure to opposing political views often increases rather than reduces polarization. #corroborates (0.80) — , The Braided Reading EPUB, 1475
• Public lamenting of polarization may itself deepen partisan animosity. #complicates (0.75) — Rachel Hartman et al., Interventions to Reduce Partisan…, 73
• Political unity is strengthened rather than weakened by divergent attentions #contradicts (0.75) — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 347