Is the Urban-Rural Divide Affectively Polarised? Comparative Evidence from Nine European Countries

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Growing divergence in voting behavior and political attitudes between urban and rural areas in the US and Europe.
• Limited systematic evidence on affective polarization along the urban-rural divide.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce and test the concept of place-based affective polarization.
• Quantify affective polarization across the urban-rural divide in Europe.
• Examine the relationship between place-based affective polarization and political party support.

Main Methods:

• Utilized original survey data from nine European countries.
• Defined and measured place-based affective polarization.
• Correlated polarization levels with demographic and political variables.

Main Results:

• Substantial place-based affective polarization exists along the urban-rural divide.
• Polarization is linked to strong place-based resentment and identity.
• Higher polarization correlates with support for Green, Alternative, Libertarian (GAL) parties in urban areas and Traditional, Authoritarian, Nationalist (TAN) parties in rural areas.

Conclusions:

• The urban-rural divide in Europe is characterized by significant affective polarization.
• Place-based identities and resentments fuel this political cleavage.
• Findings indicate a strong political divide between urban and rural populations in several European countries.