Polarization and Political Party Factions in the 2020 Election

Jennifer C. Lucas; Tauna S. Sisco; Christopher J. Galdieri

doi:10.5771/9781666906998

Summary

This volume explores the conflict between two forces: party polarization and party factionalism. The major change in America’s two political parties over the past half-century has been increased polarization, which has led to a new era of heightened inter-party competition resulting in stronger and more cohesive parties. At the same time, elections, particularly primaries, often reveal deep internal factional divisions within both the parties, and the 2020 election was no different. The Democratic coalition typically pits moderate or establishment candidates against progressive activists and candidates, while the Republican Party in 2020 was, at times, polarized not only between moderates and conservatives but between those willing to criticize President Trump and those who would not. How did these two opposing forces shape the outcome of the 2020 election, and what are the consequences for the future of American party politics and elections?

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2022
ISBN-Print: 978-1-6669-0698-1
ISBN-Online: 978-1-6669-0699-8
Publisher: Lexington, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 226
Product type: Edited Book

1. Contents No access
2. 1. Figures No access
  2. Tables No access
3. Acknowledgments No access
Introduction No access Pages 1 - 6
1. 1. Context and Literature Review No access
  2. Data and Methods No access
  3. Results No access
  4. Conclusion No access
  5. Notes No access
  6. References No access
2. 1. The 2020 Election as a Special Case No access
  2. Party Factions and Nominations No access
  3. Endorsements as Data No access
  4. 1. Candidate Concentration or Fragmentation No access
    2. Variants of Factional Conflict No access
  5. 1. Factional Conflict after the Invisible Primary No access
    2. Candidate Switchers No access
  6. Conclusion No access
  7. Notes No access
  8. References No access
3. 1. Note No access
  2. References No access
1. 1. Connecting Negative Partisanship and Negative Party Branding No access
  2. When Will Candidates Use Party Branding? No access
  3. 1. Collecting and Organizing Text No access
    2. Scoring Text for Partisan Negativity No access
  4. 1. Comparing Platforms, Comparing Years No access
    2. What Conditions Promote Engaging with the Opposing Party? No access
    3. What Conditions Promote Negative Out-Group Branding? No access
  5. Evaluating the Evidence No access
  6. Notes No access
  7. References No access
2. 1. Two Theories about Primary Challenges No access
  2. 1. Group Influence No access
    2. Partisan Swing No access
  3. Primary Challenges and the Future of the Democratic Party No access
  4. Notes No access
  5. References No access
3. 1. The Role of Social Media on Election Strategy No access
  2. Artificial Neural Networks and Data No access
  3. Methodology and Hypotheses No access
  4. Results and Discussion No access
  5. Conclusions No access
  6. Note No access
  7. References No access
4. 1. 1. Parties and Targeting Funds No access
    2. Data and Methods No access
    3. Who Gets Small Dollar Donations? No access
    4. How Targeted Are Small Dollar Funds? No access
  2. Discussion and Conclusion No access
  3. Notes No access
  4. References No access
1. 1. 1. The Population Does Not Exist No access
  2. Key Hypothesis and Data No access
  3. Analysis No access
  4. Summary and Conclusion No access
  5. Note No access
  6. References No access
2. 1. Nixon Elections: 1968, 1972 No access
  2. Reagan Elections: 1980, 1984, 1988 No access
  3. George W. Bush Elections: 2000, 2004 No access
  4. Trump Elections: 2016, 2020 No access
  5. Looking Ahead No access
  6. Note No access
  7. References No access
3. 1. Understanding Ideology in the Democratic Party No access
  2. 1. Ideological Identities No access
    2. Issue Positions No access
  3. Primary Candidate Preferences No access
  4. 1. Survey Items No access
  5. Notes No access
  6. References No access
4. 1. Minor Shifts with Major Implications: State Results in 2020 No access
  2. The County Vote in 2020 No access
  3. A “Sorted” Country: Geographic Polarization in 2020 No access
  4. Conclusion No access
  5. Note No access
  6. References No access
1. 1. The Context of the 2020 Election No access
  2. Voter Access Laws in the U.S. States—Then and Now No access
  3. Expanding Mail-In Voting in Republican States No access
  4. Discussion No access
  5. Notes No access
  6. References No access
Index No access Pages 217 - 220
About the Contributors No access Pages 221 - 226