How Politicians Polarize : Political Representation in an Age of Negative Partisanship.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Costa, Mia.

Series:

Chicago Studies in American Politics Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Politics and government.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (251 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2025.

Summary:

A fresh examination of political representation in an era of negative partisanship. What does representation look like when politicians focus on "othering" the opposing party rather than the policy interests of their constituents? How do voters react to negative partisan rhetoric? And is policy responsiveness still the cornerstone of American representative democracy? In How Politicians Polarize, Mia Costa draws on survey experiments, analysis of congressional newsletters and tweets, and data on fundraising and media coverage to examine how and why politicians rely so often on negative partisan attacks. Costa shows that most Americans do not like negative rhetoric, and politicians know this. Nonetheless, these kinds of attacks can reap powerful rewards from national media, donors, and party elites. Costa’s findings challenge the popular notion that Americans are motivated more by their partisan identities than by policy representation. Her research illuminates how the political ecosystem rewards negative representation and how this affects the quality of American democracy.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1. How Politicians Polarize

CHAPTER 2. Reinterpreting Representation for an "Us versus Them" Politics

CHAPTER 3. Partisanship and Policy in Elite Communication

CHAPTER 4. How Negative Representation Diminishes Substantive Representation

CHAPTER 5. Negative Partisanship as an Electoral Strategy

CHAPTER 6. The Hidden Layer of Polarization: Elite Animosity

CHAPTER 7. Reaping the Rewards: Media, Money, and Influence

CHAPTER 8. Americans Don't Like Negative Representation

CHAPTER 9. Selective Tolerance: The Subgroups That Turn a Blind Eye

CHAPTER 10. The Perception Gap

CHAPTER 11. The Race to the Bottom (and the Way Back Up)

Acknowledgments

Appendixes

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780226838939

OCLC:

1504507342