Fragmentation and Social Polarization: The Character of Political Attitude Extremism in America.

In spite of growing concerns about political extremism, no adequate measure exists to empirically test the character of political attitudes. The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement of political attitude extremism and, using this measure, assess the communication phenomena that contribute to political extremism. To this end, two surveys were distributed to a total of 504 participants (316 for Study 1 and 188 for Study 2). Study 1 assessed the properties of political attitude extremism. The second study used the measure developed in Study 1 to determine the extent to which media habits, homogeneity of social networks, partisan polarization, political information efficacy, political talk, and moral certainty contribute to political attitude extremism. Study 1 found that liberal attitude extremism and conservative attitude extremism are not opposite ends of the same spectrum but rather are distinct variables with unique measurement properties. Furthermore, conservative attitude extremism must be subdivided into fiscal conservative extremism and social conservative extremism, while liberalism did not require such a division. Study 2 found that these three extremism variables (liberal attitude extremism, social conservative attitude extremism, fiscal conservative attitude extremism) behave differently relative to the communication phenomenon examined. Specifically, ideological media use and political talk significantly predicted liberal attitude extremism, homogeneity of social network and partisan polarization significantly predicted social conservative attitude extremism, and partisan polarization and political information efficacy significantly predicted fiscal conservative attitude extremism. These findings demonstrate that scholarship must consider attitude extremism as multifaceted and must adjust theory accordingly. The new measurement tools provided by this study represent a significant advancement in the empirical study of political extremism

Investigating the Relationships of Attitude Clarity and Correctness with Political Identification Strength and Evaluations of an Ideological Group

The present study examines two underlying attitude certainty dimensions in the context of political groups: attitude clarity and attitude correctness. Attitude clarity is the subjective sense that one knows what one’s attitude is, and attitude correctness is the subjective sense that one’s attitude is correct or valid. Based on predictions derived from social identity theory and attitude attribution research, it is expected that attitude clarity and attitude correctness will have diverging effects with political groups. First, it is expected that attitude clarity will better predict political identification than attitude correctness due to stronger ties to the self-concept. Secondly, it is expected that attitude correctness will be a better predictor of political out-group evaluation than attitude clarity, due to antagonistic tendencies predicted by correctness. Lastly, attitude correctness will also be a better predictor of attribution of rationality towards the out-group’s attitudes. This study will contribute to contemporary attitudinal research investigating the unique relationship of these attitude certainty dimensions

Gender Gaps In Voter's Behaviour In Modern Ukraine: Factors And Influence

The article deals with the important and insufficiently studied problem of specificity of the gender influence on electors' orientations in modern Ukraine. The studies fixed the presence of gender gaps in the electoral behavior – certain difference in electoral activity (participation in elections) and electoral preferences (decision about whom to give the own voice) among men and women. Based on the analysis of the situation in the Ukrainian society, there was determined, that the real gender gap in the electoral behavior of women and men is conditioned by the series of factors: historical (1), ideological (2), economic (3), social (4), political (5), cognitive-propagandist (6), stereotype and others (7).Their influence really determines a motivation of making electoral decisions by them. It was established, that just these factors, added by the series of partial ones (regional, type and level of elections, strategies of organizing election campaigns and so on) determine the presence of differences in the electoral behavior of men and women. Present gender gaps testify not only to the difference in the attitude to elections, they manifest the difference in approaches as to the attitude to the whole totality of social and political problems among men and women. Historical, economic, social, political, ideological factors, separated at the analysis, are more or less manifested in gender stereotypes that function in the society, that describe and legitimize men's and women's status in the society, their attitude to different social phenomena that results in the necessity to take them into account obligatorily at organizing elections

Redrawing the body politic: federalism, regionalism and the creation of new states in India

In 2000 the federal map of India was redrawn to create three new states, signifying a significant shift in the attitude of many of India's major political parties towards territorial reorganisation. This paper suggests that a new era in the political economy of India - associated with economic liberalisation; the rise of the Hindu right; the regionalisation of politics; and the emergence of a coalitional system of government in New Delhi - provides a new 'field of opportunities' for regions demanding state recognition. The paper concludes that, in this matter, the major political parties are driven primarily by expediency and opportunism rather than, as is claimed, by an evaluation of the democratic and developmental potential of smaller states

Attitude change in a realistic experiment: the effect of party membership and audience reaction during an interview with a Dutch politician

In this realistic experiment, an interview with the leader of the Liberals in the Dutch Parliament was recorded in the presence of a live audience, which reacted in a positive, negative, or neutral way. It was shown to subjects of two opposing political parties, whose attitudes were to be changed by the experimental interview. The main hypothesis, which predicted more attitude change in the positive than in the negative audience condition, could not in general be supported. The alternative audience attraction hypothesis was mainly sustained: With an audience, perceived as attractive, attitude change was greatest when the audience reacted positively and least when it reacted negatively, while for an unattractive audience the opposite effect was demonstrated

Greek ricochet? What drove Poles' attitudes to the euro in 2009-2010

We investigate the determinants of support for the euro adoption in Poland in 2009 and 2010. Using two unique survey datasets, collected in December 2009 and June 2010, we estimate ordered and unordered logit models explaining the respondents' attitude to the introduction of the common currency. Whereas the public support has generally declined over this period, probably against the background of sovereign debt crises in the euro area, this decline was concentrated along some dimensions. We find that the declared level of information about the euro is a key driver of this support, both in 2009 and -- even more so -- in 2010, as well-informed respondents tend to be significantly more supportive of the common currency than badly-informed ones. We also find some evidence that political views influence the attitude towards the euro, but they are by no means its main determinant. During the crisis, the conviction of euro being a “strong, stable currency” has faded; instead, a negative attitude started to result from low income, high age and low economic knowledge. Surprisingly, in 2010 a more negative attitude was represented by students, white-collar workers and big city residents. All in all, the public perception of the euro does not seem to be fixed, but evolves with economic and political developments, so that new concerns appear.EMU, attitudes towards the euro, public opinion, ordered logit, unordered logit

Caryle, Malthus and Sismondi: The Origins of Carlyle’s Dismal View of Political Economy

While it is correct to say that Carlyle first applied the exact phrase “dismal science” to political economy in his 1849 article on plantation labour in the West Indies, I argue that Carlyle came to the view that political economy was “dismal” well before that time. Indeed, his negative attitude can be seen quite clearly in his earlier published reactions to the writings of Malthus (and Sismondi, amongst others) on population growth and its consequences and also to the perceived ‘materialistic’ nature of the subject matter of political economy.

Pemasaran Politik dan Politik Kepartaian di Indonesia: Kajian Pemilihan Umum Tahun 2009 di Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta

This research was conducted with the aim to explain the factors influencing voters' decision on a political party in DKI region of Jakarta. The research framework was based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen. The outcome of focus group discussion and adaptation of the model identified the antecedent factors including: persona, emotional relation, programs, image, ideology, attitude toward figure and attitude toward party. These factors are hypothesized to have influence on party choice decision. This research using quantitative approach with survey design involving of 625 samples representing voters in DKI Jakarta. Data was collected using questionnaire, while multivariate analysis with Structural Equation Modeling were used to test the research hypothesis. The finding of the research ascertained and supported the factors influencing voters' choice decision developed based on TRA. Hence, this research concluded ,that voters' decision to choose a party were influenced by their attitude toward political figure, as well as, their attitude toward the political party. Propensity of voters' attitude toward political figure were influenced by the persona and emotional relation factors, while, the attitude toward the political party were influenced by programs, party's image and ideology factors. The research found that persona was the dominant factor influencing voter's choice decision of a political party. The research therefore recommended that political party should pay attention to understanding voters behavior, especially focusing on factors such as persona, emotional relation, programs,image and ideology. This is because these are the factors that encourage positive attitude toward political figure and party which consequently lead decision to choose the political party