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September 12, 2025DemocratizationOpen Access

Opponents, not enemies: disentangling the relationship between polarization and democracy in Europe

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Authors

QMQuita MuisFHFrank HendriksTRTim Reeskens

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Overview

Analysis reveals that partisan polarization enhances democratic quality, while societal polarization undermines it.

Key Points

  • Partisan polarization correlates with better democratic quality, indicating it may aid democracy rather than hinder it.
  • Societal polarization negatively impacts democratic quality and institutional trust, emphasizing the risks of moralized conflicts.
  • Elite polarization significantly predicts declines in democratic quality, suggesting the importance of political leadership in shaping outcomes.
  • Affective polarization affects diffuse democratic support, highlighting the nuances in how polarization influences public sentiment.

Cite This Study

Muis et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68d44c3d31b076d99fa5562dhttps://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2025.2548904
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