Us versus them: Do the rules of the game encourage negative partisanship?

Party identification is a well-documented force in political behaviour. However, the vast majority of work on partisanship considers only its positive side, rather than recognizing that partisan identities may also have a negative component. Recent work has shown that negative partisanship has important effects, such as reinforcing partisan leanings, directing strategic behaviour and increasing the rate of straight-ticket voting. This study takes a step back to explore the sources of such orientations, rather than the effects. Specifically, it considers whether the electoral system context contributes to the presence of negative affective orientations towards parties. Using data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, we examine the influence of factors related to electoral system features and consider whether their influence is moderated by voter sophistication. Data reveal significant variation in the rate of negative partisanship across countries, and that these differences are related to the electoral system context in which voters are making decisions. We also find some evidence that these effects are moderated by sophistication. This work adds to our understanding of the role of affect in political behaviour, as well as the impact that country-level institutional factors can have upon the relationship between voters and parties.

Automated summary

This study examines the differences in negative partisanship rates across countries and finds that these differences are related to the electoral system context, with potential moderation by voter sophistication. This research contributes to our understanding of the impact of country-level institutional factors on the relationship between voters and parties.