Political polarization (see American and British English spelling differences) is the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes. Almost all discussions of polarization in political science consider polarization in the context of political parties and democratic systems of government. In most two-party systems, political polarization embodies the tension of its binary political ideologies and partisan identities. Definitions and measurements%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% According to DiMaggio et al. (1996), " Polarization is both a state and a process. Polarization as a state refers to the extent to which opinions on an issue are opposed in relation to some theoretical maximum. Polarization as a process refers to the increase in such opposition over time." Polarization can be benign, natural, and democratizing, or it can be pernicious, having long term malignant effects on society and congesting essential democratic functions. Where voters see the parties as less divergent, they are less likely to be satisfied with how their democracy works. Some political scientists argue that polarization requires divergence on a broad range of issues, while others argue that only a few issues are required .  Political scientists typically distinguish between two levels of political polarization: elite and mass. "Elite polarization" focuses on the polarization of the political elites, like party organizers and elected officials. "Mass polarization" (or popular polarization) focuses on the polarization of the masses, most often the electorate or general public. Conventionally, political polarization is viewed in terms of issue positions or policy attitudes, including ideological distance between elites (political parties, party manifestos, or legislative voting) or the masses (voters self-sorting into increasingly homogenous political parties or self-placement on ideological scales). Some political scientists assert that contemporary polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right scale, but increasingly on other divisions such as: religious against secular; nationalist against globalist; traditional against modern; rural against urban. Elite polarization  Causes There are various causes of political polarization and these include political parties, redistricting, the public's political ideology, and the mass media. Consequences The implications of political polarization "are not entirely clear and may include some benefits as well as detrimental consequences."  While its exact effects are disputed, it clearly alters the political process and the political composition of the general public.
Political polarization (see American and British English spelling differences) is %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% " both a state and a process. Polarization as a state refers to the extent to which opinions on an issue are opposed in relation to some theoretical maximum. Polarization as a process refers to the increase in such opposition over time." Most discussions of polarization in political science consider polarization in the context of political parties and democratic systems of government. In two-party systems, political polarization usually embodies the tension of its binary political ideologies and partisan identities. However, some political scientists assert that contemporary polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right scale, but increasingly on other divisions such as: religious against secular; nationalist against globalist; traditional against modern; or rural against urban . Definitions and measurements Political scientists typically distinguish between two levels of political polarization: elite and mass. "Elite polarization" focuses on the polarization of the political elites, like party organizers and elected officials. "Mass polarization" (or popular polarization) focuses on the polarization of the masses, most often the electorate or general public. Elite polarization Some political scientists argue that polarization requires divergence on a broad range of issues, while others argue that only a few issues are required. Causes There are various causes of political polarization and these include political parties, redistricting, the public's political ideology, and the mass media. Consequences The implications of political polarization "are not entirely clear and may include some benefits as well as detrimental consequences." Polarization can be benign, natural, and democratizing, or it can be pernicious, having long term malignant effects on society and congesting essential democratic functions. Where voters see the parties as less divergent, they are less likely to be satisfied with how their democracy works. While its exact effects are disputed, it clearly alters the political process and the political composition of the general public.
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the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes. Almost all discussions of polarization in political science consider polarization in the context of political parties and democratic systems of government. In most two-party systems, political polarization embodies the tension of its binary political ideologies and partisan identities.
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Definitions and measurements
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According to DiMaggio et al. (1996),
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Polarization is
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Polarization can be benign, natural, and democratizing, or it can be pernicious, having long term malignant effects on society and congesting essential democratic functions. Where voters see the parties as less divergent, they are less likely to be satisfied with how their democracy works. Some political scientists argue that polarization requires divergence on a broad range of issues, while others argue that only a few issues are required
Most discussions of polarization in political science consider polarization in the context of political parties and democratic systems of government. In two-party systems, political polarization usually embodies the tension of its binary political ideologies and partisan identities. However, some political scientists assert that contemporary polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right scale, but increasingly on other divisions such as: religious against secular; nationalist against globalist; traditional against modern; or rural against urban
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Definitions and measurements
D
Conventionally, political polarization is viewed in terms of issue positions or policy attitudes, including ideological distance between elites (political parties, party manifestos, or legislative voting) or the masses (voters self-sorting into increasingly homogenous political parties or self-placement on ideological scales). Some political scientists assert that contemporary polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right scale, but increasingly on other divisions such as: religious against secular; nationalist against globalist; traditional against modern; rural against urban.
A
Some political scientists argue that polarization requires divergence on a broad range of issues, while others argue that only a few issues are required.
A
Polarization can be benign, natural, and democratizing, or it can be pernicious, having long term malignant effects on society and congesting essential democratic functions. Where voters see the parties as less divergent, they are less likely to be satisfied with how their democracy works.