Preventing extreme polarization of political attitudes
Abstract
Democracies require compromise. But compromise becomes almost impossible when voters are divided into diametrically opposed camps. The danger is that intolerance will grow, democratic norms will be undermined, and winners will be reluctant to let the losers ever regain power. To better understand how polarization can be prevented, or at least slowed, we developed a simple model in which people tend to be exposed to and attracted by views similar to their own, but are repulsed by views that are too dissimilar. The policy implications are described in terms of level of tolerance to other views, responsiveness to other views, exposure to dissimilar views, multiple ideological dimensions, economic self-interest, and external shocks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 06, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2102139118
Entities
People
- Joshua J. Daymude
- Robert Axelrod
- Stephanie Forrest
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate
- Arizona State University
- Army Research Office
- National Science Foundation
- Santa Fe Institute
- University of Michigan