Using a general model of opinion dynamics, we conduct a systematic investigation of key
mechanisms driving elite polarization in the United States. We demonstrate that the self …

Research has documented increasing partisan division and extremist positions that are
more pronounced among political elites than among voters. Attention has now begun to …

Understanding the dynamics of opinion depolarization is pivotal to reducing the political
divide in our society. We propose an opinion dynamics model, which we name the social …

Inquiry into the origins of partisan polarization has generally treated polarization as a simple,
symmetric phenomenon—the degree to which the worldviews of the mass Democratic and …

We examine the interaction between partisan affect and elite polarization in a behavioral
voting model. Voting is determined by affect rather than rational choice. Parties are office …

Polarization is both a description of the current state of politics and a dynamic path that has
rippled across the political domain over decades. We provide a simple model that explains …

We provide commentaries on the papers included in the Dynamics of Political Polarization
Special Feature. Baldassarri reads the contribution of the papers in light of the theoretical …

Extreme polarization can undermine democracy by making compromise impossible and
transforming politics into a zero-sum game.“Ideological polarization”—the extent to which …

The form of political polarization where citizens develop strongly negative attitudes toward
out-party members and policies has become increasingly prominent across many …

In light of increasing recent attention to political polarization, understanding how polarization
can arise poses an important theoretical question. While more classical models of opinion …