Masterclass in Budapest: Andres Reiljan on Affective Polarization

The latest masterclass held in Budapest and available for fellows in every hub was held on December 4. Andres Reiljan from the European University Institute discussed his research on affective polarization.

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Noting an increase in the interest in affective polarization, he talked about different ways to measure phenomenon and used examples from different countries and different political systems, in particular showing differences between the U.S. and Europe.

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According to him, the polarization may be based on deeply rooted social identities, on ideologies or even on highly specific opinions (for example, on one’s view on vaccination), it is most often studied in the political context, with regards to political parties. He agreed with some comments from the fellows that in some context that may not be the best measurement.

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He argued that two central dimensions of affective polarization can be distinguished: a political/vertical dimension (feelings towards parties and elites) and a social/horizontal dimension (feelings towards ordinary people based on their political affiliations).

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He explained that affective polarization is almost exclusively measured via opinion polls and pointed out some important issues with the methodology, particularly when it comes to multi-party systems.

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Watch the Zoom recording of the discussion here: