Negative partisanship and affective polarization

Research on the roots of affective polarization has often emphasized the role played by social identities, whereby identifying with a political party may lead to hostility towards the ‘other side’ of politics. Whilst fruitful, this approach does not account for the many citizens who feel strongly repelled by a particular party and yet feel attached to none. In this chapter, we shine a light on the role played by negative partisanship, voters’ rejection of a party, in fueling affective polarization. We argue that negative partisanship can be conceptualized and measured as a type of social identity (e.g., ‘I am not a Republican’), even in the absence of any positive partisan ties. In doing so, we clarify the relationship between negative partisanship and affective polarization and highlight the prominence of negative partisanship in established and newer democracies alike. We conclude by pointing out avenues for future research and by reflecting on the normative implications of this increasingly relevant, yet overlooked, concept.