Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Partisan and Ideological Sorting in the United States

政治学博士论文研究：美国的党派与意识形态分类

• 批准号: 1065054
• 负责人: Stanley Feldman
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-05-15 至 2012-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1065054&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Political; Science

For decades, political scientists have argued about whether political polarization is occurring in the United States. Yet there has been no common definition of what polarization is and no agreement as to what might cause it. This project aims to change the terms of this debate, both by defining the concept of polarization clearly and consistently and by identifying the reasons for the existence of polarization and for its increase over the last fifty years. The project defines political polarization as a process by which citizens move from centrist, moderate political beliefs or behavior to more extreme beliefs or behavior. The project suggests that US citizens can be polarized over issue positions or in their behavior, and that these two things need not happen at the same time. Hence, while levels of issue position polarization may be low, behavioral polarization--characterized by increased levels of activism, intolerance and anger--can be and is today undeniably on the rise. This increased behavioral polarization has been fueled by the gradual alignment of party and ideological identities over the last few decades. US citizens are more politically active, intolerant and angry because party identities have come into alignment with other political identities (ideology, religion, and race). Other studies have shown that when multiple identities come into alignment, citizens become less tolerant of others. This project further contends that when political identities come into alignment, party identities are strengthened. Studies have also shown that those with stronger identities are more intolerant, and take more actions on behalf of the group to which they belong. This project argues that this psychological reaction is emotional in nature and is unrelated to measured considerations of issues. If this argument holds, then partisans have deep psychological motivations to be uncivil, and the strength of these motivations has increased since the 1960s. The research examines its arguments by collecting data from a nationally representative sample of adult Americans. Specifically, a web-based survey will be used to assess the relationships among an array of political identities (partisan, ideological, religious, racial, and issue-based), and the effect of these identities on political behavior. In addition, the survey will be used to examine the role of issue position extremity on political behavior. If the reasoning here is right, issue position extremity should play a smaller role in motivating political activism, intolerance, and anger than does political identity strength. Furthermore, and most importantly, individuals with high levels of alignment among their political identities should be more active, intolerant and angry than those whose political identities are not in alignment. This project will provide crucial insight in two arenas. First, it will move forward a long-standing academic debate, by introducing a precise definition and identifying causal mechanisms at work. Second, the project will shed light on the psychological motivations of polarized and intolerant partisan debate.

几十年来，政治学家一直在争论美国是否正在发生政治两极分化。然而，对于什么是两极分化，没有一个共同的定义，也没有一个关于导致两极分化的原因的共识。本项目旨在改变这场辩论的术语，明确和一致地定义两极分化的概念，并确定两极分化存在的原因以及在过去50年中两极分化加剧的原因。 该项目将政治极化定义为公民从中间派、温和的政治信仰或行为转向更极端的信仰或行为的过程。该项目表明，美国公民可以在问题立场或行为上两极分化，这两件事不需要同时发生。 因此，虽然问题立场两极分化的程度可能较低，但行为两极分化-其特点是行动主义、不容忍和愤怒程度的增加-可能而且今天正在不可避免地上升。过去几十年来，政党和意识形态身份的逐渐一致助长了这种日益加剧的行为两极分化。 美国公民在政治上更加活跃，更加不宽容和愤怒，因为政党身份与其他政治身份（意识形态，宗教和种族）保持一致。其他研究表明，当多重身份出现一致时，公民对他人的容忍度就会降低。 这个项目进一步认为，当政治身份进入对齐，党的身份得到加强。研究还表明，那些身份较强的人更不宽容，并代表他们所属的群体采取更多行动。这个项目认为，这种心理反应是情绪化的性质，是无关的测量考虑的问题。 如果这一论点成立，那么游击队有深刻的心理动机是不文明的，这些动机的强度自20世纪60年代以来有所增加。这项研究通过收集具有全国代表性的美国成年人样本的数据来检验其论点。具体而言，基于网络的调查将被用来评估一系列的政治身份（党派，意识形态，宗教，种族和基于问题）之间的关系，以及这些身份对政治行为的影响。 此外，本研究亦将探讨议题立场极端化对政治行为的影响。 如果这里的推理是正确的，那么在激发政治行动主义、不宽容和愤怒方面，问题立场极端化的作用应该比政治认同强度小。 此外，最重要的是，与政治身份不一致的人相比，政治身份高度一致的人应该更活跃，更不宽容，更愤怒。 该项目将在两个领域提供重要的见解。 首先，它将通过引入精确的定义和确定起作用的因果机制，推进长期存在的学术辩论。 其次，该项目将揭示两极分化和不容忍的党派辩论的心理动机。