Political polarization refers to the divergence of political attitudes away from the center, towards ideological extremes. It is associated with the process of politicization and is often discussed in the context of political parties and democratic systems of government. Polarization can be divided into two types: ideological polarization, which refers to differences between policy positions, and affective polarization, which refers to an emotional dislike and distrust of political out-groups. Political scientists distinguish between two levels of political polarization: elite and mass. Elite polarization focuses on the polarization of the political elites, like party organizers and elected officials, while mass polarization focuses on the polarization of the masses, most often the electorate or general public.
Polarization is often associated with binary political ideologies and partisan identities in two-party systems. However, some political scientists assert that contemporary polarization depends less on policy differences on a left and right scale but increasingly on other divisions such as religious against secular, nationalist against globalist, traditional against modern, or rural against urban. Polarization is also associated with the rise of 24-hour partisan cable news, which has contributed to the increase in negative feelings towards members of the other party compared to ones own party.
Polarization has been observed in many countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. Negative consequences of polarization include the breakdown of democracy, the demonization of activists and human rights defenders, and a spike in hate crimes and political violence.
