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Choosing Democracy Over Party? How Civic Education Can Mitigate the Anti-Democratic Effects of Partisan Polarization

Author

Listed:
  • Melek Hilal Eroglu

    (University of Pittsburgh)

  • Steven Finkel

    (University of Pittsburgh)

  • Anja Neundorf

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Aykut Ozturk

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Ericka G. Rascon-Ramirez

    (Department of Economics, CIDE and Middlesex University London)

Abstract

How can the negative effects of partisan polarization on democratic attitudes be mitigated? Can polarized individuals be persuaded to choose democracy over party, i.e., support a candidate from an opposing party who upholds democratic norms when their co-partisan candidate fails to do so? We tested the effect of an online civic education intervention conducted on over 41,000 individuals in 33 countries that was designed to promote the choice for "democracy" by emphasizing the benefits of democratic versus autocratic regimes. The results are striking: exposure to civic education messages significantly dampens the negative effect of partisan polarization on anti-democratic co-partisan candidate choice. Civic education also has a small positive effect on polarization itself, with further exploration showing that this is the result of increased evaluations of parties that uphold democratic norms and practices, resulting in greater differences between democratic and antidemocratic parties.

Suggested Citation

  • Melek Hilal Eroglu & Steven Finkel & Anja Neundorf & Aykut Ozturk & Ericka G. Rascon-Ramirez, 2025. "Choosing Democracy Over Party? How Civic Education Can Mitigate the Anti-Democratic Effects of Partisan Polarization," Working Papers DTE 647, CIDE, División de Economía.
    • Handle: RePEc:emc:wpaper:dte647
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romain Ferrali & Guy Grossman & Horacio Larreguy, 2023. "Can low-cost, scalable, online interventions increase youth informed political participation in electoral authoritarian contexts?," Post-Print hal-04185976, HAL.
    2. Graham, Matthew H. & Svolik, Milan W., 2020. "Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 114(2), pages 392-409, May.
    3. Steven E. Finkel & Amy Erica Smith, 2011. "Civic Education, Political Discussion, and the Social Transmission of Democratic Knowledge and Values in a New Democracy: Kenya 2002," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(2), pages 417-435, April.
    4. Krishnarajan, Suthan, 2023. "Rationalizing Democracy: The Perceptual Bias and (Un)Democratic Behavior," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 117(2), pages 474-496, May.
    5. Shanto Iyengar & Sean J. Westwood, 2015. "Fear and Loathing Across Party Lines: New Evidence on Group Polarization," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 59(3), pages 690-707, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

    Civic education; partisan polarization; democratization; online experiments;
    All these keywords.

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