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Education level and affective polarization: The mediation effects of psychological engagement in politics and authoritarian attitudes

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  • Kyung Joon Han

Abstract

Objective We investigate how the education effect on affective polarization is mediated by people's cognitive behaviors. Method We employ a causal mediation analysis model and the American National Election Studies (2016 and 2020). Results Both voters’ psychological engagement in politics and their authoritarian attitudes mediate the education effect on affective polarization, but the directions of the two mediation effects are different. While a person's attainment of higher education lowers her affective polarization through her weak authoritarian attitude, it raises her affective polarization through her psychological engagement in politics. Conclusion The result implies that educational expansion does not warrant the waning of affective polarization. It also implies that education may have differing indirect effects on other political behaviors such as party support.

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  • Kyung Joon Han, 2022. "Education level and affective polarization: The mediation effects of psychological engagement in politics and authoritarian attitudes," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(7), pages 1633-1646, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:103:y:2022:i:7:p:1633-1646
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.13228
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    1. Luke Keele & Dustin Tingley & Teppei Yamamoto, 2015. "Identifying Mechanisms Behind Policy Interventions Via Causal Mediation Analysis," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 937-963, September.
    2. Jian Huang & Henriëtte den Brink & Wim Groot, 2011. "College Education and Social Trust: An Evidence-Based Study on the Causal Mechanisms," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(2), pages 287-310, November.
    3. Rachel Milstein Sondheimer & Donald P. Green, 2010. "Using Experiments to Estimate the Effects of Education on Voter Turnout," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 174-189, January.
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