Elites in check? Challenges to party democracy from a longitudinal and experimental perspective

• Grant number: 23/05985-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: July 06, 2023
• End date: January 05, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - State and Government
• Principal Investigator: Pedro José Floriano Ribeiro
• Grantee: Vinícius Silva Alves
• Supervisor: James F. Adams
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of California, Davis (UC Davis), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/14153-7 - Elites in check? Challenges to party democracy from a longitudinal and experimental perspective, BP.PD

Abstract

What would be the consequences of affective polarization on party organization change? Can we expect political parties to be key players in the functioning of representative democracies in the aftermath of populism rise? To address these questions, one essential step is to investigate how affective polarization operates among party members in different strata. We found evidence of increasing distrust and cross-party hostility in politics worldwide, even in contemporary Western democracies. Often considered illegitimate actors in the eyes of public opinion, political parties tend to adapt to the landscape, which may impact the party organization itself. According to the curvilinear disparity theory, affiliates on the higher and lower strata in party organizations tend to share similar political preferences, differentiating themselves from the intermediate elites, who would have more intense and attached political values. When parties address claims for increasing the power of lower rank members, one potential solution presented is to enhance their influence on party matters. However, during times of ideational populism and affective polarization, ongoing hostility from party leaders to their contenders could resonate among the rank-and-file member opinion. This could blur the intermediate level, leading to a less stable organization in terms of democratic adherence and more suitable to reinforce the top players of the party elite - damaging even further the wounded image of parties in society. Using observational and experimental data gathered with a national survey of party members in Brazil, the research proposes an innovative way of testing how affective polarization operates among different strata in party organizations, providing evidence from a critical case in a comparative perspective. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VINÍCIUS SILVA ALVES. Vale quanto pesa? A influência das eleições de governador sobre a composição da Câmara dos Deputados no Brasil (1994-2018). Opin. Publica, v. 29, n. 3, p. 761-791, 2024-02-05. (20/14153-7, 23/05985-7)