Dynamic political polarization: evidence from Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the nature of political polarization in Brazil by applying multiple techniques to increase the robustness of the results. A political polarization index was developed from 1989 to 2019 based on statistical techniques for macro-level data analysis and using questions about positive and negative party sentiment of the Workers' Party (PT). The results indicate that there is affective and dynamic political polarization, structured by periods of more convergence and more divergence. The feelings of petism (pro-PT partisanship) and anti-petism (anti-PT sentiment) produce political polarization, so that the antagonism between the two camps (petistas and anti-petistas) grows over time. This article sparks a debate on political polarization in Latin America from the perspective of macro politics.

macro politics; political polarization; petism; antipetism; PT