Multidimensional partisanship shapes climate policy support and behaviours

Adam P. Mayer and E. Keith Smith ()
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Adam P. Mayer: Michigan State University – Center for Global Change and Earth Observations
E. Keith Smith: ETH Zürich – International Political Economy and Environmental Politics

Nature Climate Change, 2023, vol. 13, issue 1, 32-39

Abstract: Abstract Partisanship is one of the largest and most studied social barriers to climate change mitigation in the United States. Here we expand conceptualizations of ‘left-right’ or ‘Democrat-Republican’ towards understanding partisanship as a multidimensional social identity with both negative and positive elements. Partisan support or opposition for climate action can be driven by identification with the partisan in-group (positive or ‘expressive’ partisanship), as well as perceived threats from the ‘out-group’ (negative partisanship). Using original survey data, we show that when negative and expressive partisanship is low, climate policy support is similar for Republicans and Democrats. However, differences in policy support increase when partisan identification amplifies. Yet, for climate behaviours, we find more limited partisan effects. The proposed multidimensional partisanship framework revisits the role of partisan polarization in shaping climate change action and points to alternative ways to transcend partisan barriers.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01548-6

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