|
?:abstract
|
-
This PhD dissertation significantly expands the comparative perspective on affective polarisation, particularly focusing on the underexplored context of Latin America. Affective polarisation, defined as the extent of negativity towards opposing political partisans and positivity towards co-partisans, has been predominantly studied in the context of the United States and Europe. That is why this research seeks to understand its dynamics in the distinct political landscape of Latin America, characterized by volatile party systems, declining democracy, and a shift towards personalism. The dissertation adopts a comprehensive approach, exploring affective polarisation from three perspectives. The first chapter presents a groundbreaking methodological approach, employing state-of-art computational linguistics to measure elite affective polarisation. This innovative technique allows for a direct observation of the language used by political elites and its contribution to societal divisions. The chapter further investigates how various institutional and contextual factors, such as elite ideological polarisation and electoral volatility, correlate with elite affective polarisation, providing a deeper understanding of its drivers in Latin America. In the second chapter, the dissertation introduces the novel concept of "leadership identification," redefining the dynamics of political identities beyond traditional partisan affiliations. It reveals that in the distinct political environment of Latin America, particularly in presidential systems, leadership identification has a more pronounced impact on affective polarisation compared to partisan identification. This insight is pivotal in understanding the pre-eminence of political leadership over party identities. The final chapter of this dissertation examines the consequences of democratic backsliding on affective polarisation, employing a quasi-experimental method. The chapter utilizes the suspension of the 2016 recall referendum in Venezuela as a case study to understand how democratic backsliding influences affective polarisation. The findings reveal asymmetric effects of anti-democratic actions on societal polarisation. Notably, supporters of the ruling party do not alter their evaluations of the opposition, even when exposed to procedural unfairness aimed at suppressing it. In contrast, those identifying with the opposition experience an increase in negative sentiments. This outcome provides a nuanced perspective on affective polarisation within contexts of democratic erosion, highlighting the differential impact of political developments on various segments of society. The research employs a mix of computational linguistics, sentiment analysis, and survey data to analyse patterns of affective polarisation at the individual and elite level. It contrasts this phenomenon in Latin America with developed democracies, highlighting the unique challenges and complexities of the region. The findings reveal that while affective polarisation is a global trend, its manifestation in Latin America is influenced by factors like the prominent role of political leaders, and declining democratic norms. This dissertation contributes to the evolving literature on affective polarisation by shedding light on its complexities in Latin America's unique political landscape. It challenges and refines existing theories, offering fresh insights into the dynamics of affective polarisation in non- bipartisan and volatile political settings. The research presented herein lays the groundwork for future studies in the field and enhances our understanding of political behaviour and democratic processes in Latin America.
(xsd:string)
|
![[This page as RDF]](https://data.gesis.org/gesiskg/static/rdf-icon.gif){kind=icon}