How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation

James N. Druckman; ERIK PETERSON; Rune Slothuus

doi:10.1017/s0003055412000500

journal article Jan 25, 2013

How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation

James N. Druckman

ERIK PETERSON

Rune Slothuus

American Political Science Review Vol. 107 No. 1 pp. 57-79 · Cambridge University Press (CUP)

View at Publisher Save 10.1017/s0003055412000500

Abstract

Competition is a defining element of democracy. One of the most noteworthy events over the last quarter-century in U.S. politics is the change in the nature of elite party competition: The parties have become increasingly polarized. Scholars and pundits actively debate how these elite patterns influence polarization among the public (e.g., have citizens also become more ideologically polarized?). Yet, few have addressed what we see as perhaps more fundamental questions: Has elite polarization altered the way citizens arrive at their policy opinions in the first place and, if so, in what ways? We address these questions with a theory and two survey experiments (on the issues of drilling and immigration). We find stark evidence that polarized environments fundamentally change how citizens make decisions. Specifically, polarization intensifies the impact of party endorsements on opinions, decreases the impact of substantive information and, perhaps ironically, stimulates greater confidence in those—less substantively grounded—opinions. We discuss the implications for public opinion formation and the nature of democratic competition.

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References

Details

Published: Jan 25, 2013
Vol/Issue: 107(1)
Pages: 57-79
License: View

Authors

Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Cite This Article

James N. Druckman, ERIK PETERSON, Rune Slothuus (2013). How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation. American Political Science Review, 107(1), 57-79. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003055412000500

How Elite Partisan Polarization Affects Public Opinion Formation

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