Dimensions of division: structuring ideological polarization during Poland’s democratic backsliding

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dc.abstract.enResearch on democratic backsliding increasingly views mass polarization as a mechanism that facilitates democratic erosion. This study examines trajectories of ideological polarization in Poland between 1997 and 2023, a period encompassing democratic backsliding whose onset is typically dated to 2015. Using repeated issue-based questions from the Polish National Election Study (POLNES), we distinguish three aspects of polarization: radicalization of individuals’ positions on single issues, issue alignment (system-level correlation of issue positions across different domains), and issue partisanship (the extent to which issue positions are explained by party preferences). We find no evidence of increased single-issue radicalization over the studied period. By contrast, both issue alignment and issue partisanship increased, particularly on socio-cultural issues, with little change on economic issues. These trends are not linear: they emerge around the 2011 election and persist thereafter. This pattern is consistent with theories that view changes in mass polarization as facilitating conditions for democratic backsliding. Additionally, our findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of polarization and show that focusing on single issues or unidimensional ideological scales can obscure important changes in the structure of mass belief systems.
dc.affiliationInstytut Nauk Społecznych
dc.contributor.authorKołczyńska, Marta
dc.contributor.authorSychowiec, Maciej
dc.contributor.authorSzczupska, Oliwia
dc.date.access2027-07-20
dc.date.accessioned2026-10-28T11:21:26Z
dc.date.available2026-10-28T11:21:26Z
dc.date.created2026-07-20
dc.date.issued2026-10-24
dc.description.accesstimeafter_publication
dc.description.grantnumber2022/45/B/HS5/03493
dc.description.granttitlePolskie Generalne Studium Wyborcze (PGSW) 2023
dc.description.issue1
dc.description.physical1-22
dc.description.sdgReducedInequalities
dc.description.sdgDecentWorkAndEconomicGrowth
dc.description.sdgPeaceJusticeAndStrongInstitutions
dc.description.versionfinal_author
dc.description.volume25
dc.identifier.doi10.1057/s41295-026-00496-1
dc.identifier.eissn1740-388X
dc.identifier.issn1472-4790
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2696
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41295-026-00496-1
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationnauki socjologiczne
dc.pbn.affiliationnauki o polityce i administracji
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_REPOSITORY
dc.subject.enIdeological polarization
dc.subject.enIssue radicalization
dc.subject.enIssue alignment
dc.subject.enIssue partisanship
dc.subject.enDemocratic backsliding
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleDimensions of division: structuring ideological polarization during Poland’s democratic backsliding
dc.title.journalComparative European Politics
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle