Demographic Change and Political Polarization in the United States

Boxell, Levi (2018): Demographic Change and Political Polarization in the United States.

Abstract

I construct an index of political polarization using seven previously proposed measures. I estimate the relative propensity for polarization across demographic groups in a regression framework and examine the extent to which demographic change can explain recent trends in polarization. Assuming fixed propensities for polarization, I estimate that 25 to 59 percent of the change in polarization between 1984 and 2016 can be attributed to demographic change in the United States.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: political polarization, demographic change, affect polarization, ideological polarization
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior; H - Public Economics > H8 - Miscellaneous Issues > H89 - Other; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J10 - General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J11 - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts; Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General

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