Affective polarization has grown dramatically. Partisans increasingly avoid, distrust and hate one another to the point where they even condone violence against the other side. Affective polarization is widely seen as a destabilizing force that erodes democracy but what explains this phenomenon? In this we will grapple with different definitions of polarization, alternative approaches to explaining its causes, political and non-political consequences of affective polarization, how to compare different countries in regard to their polarization, as well as mitigating factors. In group work sessions students will apply this knowledge by analyzing real world data. After completing the course students will be equipped with the theoretical knowledge to follow their own research ideas for analyzing causes and consequences of affective polarization.
Assignments, Presentations
