When Politics Becomes Personal

Alexa Bankert is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia, USA. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Politics, Political Psychology, and Political Behavior. She is the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Junior Scholars Award, given by the Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association.

• 1. Introduction to the book; 2. From rational choice to partisan identity – a paradigm change; 3. Partisan identity and political behavior – a review of prior scholarship; 4. Negative partisanship; 5. The measurement of positive partisan identity; 6. The measurement of negative partisan identity; 7. The psychological origins of positive and negative partisan identities; 8. The impact of positive and negative partisan identities on democratic behavior in the U.S. and Europe; 9. The impact of partisan identities on anti-democratic behavior in the U.S. and Europe; 10. Reconciling partisanship and democracy; 11. Future outlook; Appendix; References; Index.

'For those who want an overview of many of the major issues surrounding the nature and impact of partisan identities, this book is invaluable … Highly recommended.' J. M. Stonecash, CHOICE