Abstract This chapter examines the nature and consequences of partisan and ideological identities. Such identities sit uncomfortably with normative ideals of democratic behavior because they can result in political behavior that is at odds with the ideal democratic citizen as rational, objective, and fully informed. Nonetheless, social identification with political groups drives political behavior and informs the study of citizens’ participation, organization, and judgment. This chapter reviews the application of social-psychological theories concerning social identity and intergroup conflict to political behavior. More specifically, the chapter reviews evidence on the effects of political identities on information processing, political action, political emotions, and prejudice against political opponents. The chapter makes clear that while voter political behavior is not often “rational” from an individual economic perspective, it is in line with predictable psychological motivations.
STATA data and .do files appropriate for replicating the main text and supplemental appendices (SA) analyses of "Who’s At The Party? Group Sentiments, Knowledge, and Partisan Identity" by Kane, Mason, and Wronski (2020)
Disagreements over whether polarization exists in the mass public have confounded two separate types of polarization. When behavioral polarization is separated from issue position polarization, both sides of the polarization debate can be simultaneously correct. Behavioral polarization, characterized by increased levels of partisan bias, activism and anger, is increasing, driven by partisan identity and political identity alignment, and does not require the same magnitude of issue position polarization. The partisan-ideological sorting that has occurred in recent decades has caused the nation as a whole to hold more aligned political identities, which has strengthened partisan identity and the activism, bias and anger that result from strong identities, even though issue positions have only moderately polarized. The result is a nation that generally agrees on many things, but is bitterly divided nonetheless. An examination of ANES data finds strong support for these hypotheses.
