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. 2024 Mar 19;88(1):79-96.
doi: 10.1093/poq/nfad064. eCollection 2024 Spring.

Political Self-Confidence and Affective Polarization

Carey E Stapleton  1 , Jennifer Wolak  2
Affiliations

Political Self-Confidence and Affective Polarization

Carey E Stapleton et al. Public Opin Q. .

Abstract

Even among those who share the same partisan commitments, some people say they despise the opposing party while others report far less animosity. Why are some people more likely to express hostility toward the opposing political party? We explore how individual-level differences in feelings of self-confidence fuel out-party animosities. Drawing on responses to a module of the 2020 Cooperative Election Study, we show that higher levels of internal political efficacy are associated with greater affective polarization. Those who feel self-assured about their political abilities are more likely to admit severing social ties with those who disagree with them and are more tolerant of discrimination against partisan opponents. In a survey experiment, we confirm that those with greater internal efficacy are also more likely to accept discrimination against a member of the opposing party. Affective polarization is greatest among those who feel the most confident of their ability to influence politics.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Heterogeneous effects of internal efficacy on tolerance of out-party discrimination.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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