Group Heterogeneity and Affective Polarization Within The Democratic Party

Abstract

Historically, the Democratic party has been infamous for representing a more diverse group of people and interests. However, in recent election years the Democratic primary campaigns have exhibited a growing hostility between different ideological factions within the party. Drawing on traditional studies of cross-party polarization, this study takes on a novel multi-faceted approach to measuring the extent of within-party polarization within the Democratic Party. This includes measures that aim to capture feelings, attitudes, and behaviors towards different ideological groups and their representative political figures. Using data from an original survey, findings suggest compelling evidence to suggest the existence of both substantive and affective polarization between liberal and moderate Democrats. That said, in an historical analysis of polarization over multiple election years using ANES data, I also present evidence that suggests a fluidity in both within-party ideological identities and partisan identities depending on which group is more salient at the time. Lastly, I find that cross-party polarization still operates at a higher intensity than within-party polarization. It is my hope that this study opens up future avenues for research on the phenomenon of within-party affective polarization and its effects on vote choice in the general elections.