Regional inequalities as drivers of affective polarization

Luca Bettarelli and Emilie Van Haute

Regional Studies, Regional Science, 2022, vol. 9, issue 1, 549-570

Abstract: This paper investigates divergences in levels of affective polarization across Belgian regions around the 2019 elections. Elaborating on the relative deprivation theory, we analyse the role of current and long-term socio-economic regional inequalities and of geographical distance separating regions. Empirically, we aggregate individual-level measures of affective polarization at the Belgian NUTS-3 level and use a gravity approach to explore the determinants of regional divergences. Our results show that regional variations in affective polarization are best explained by a current rural–urban divide and by how regions have performed economically in the last years. We also show that geographical proximity matters and reinforces the effects of economic deprivation.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2022.2117077

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