The notion of polarization receives a central position in the current public debates. Commonly connected with populism, it is argued that polarization has detrimental effects on democratic institutions and societies. While polarization and populism seem to go hand-in-hand, such a suggestion is arguably a product of normative bias. Dominant discourse views both phenomena, independently as well as in association to one another, as necessarily negative; expecting, therefore, negative consequences on polity, policy and politics. Arguably, this view may have more to do with the way we conceptualize democracy and conflict than with the character of populist polarization itself.
Critical perspectives, however, recognize that some forms of polarization are intrinsic to democracy’s competitive logic, especially when that competition involves challenges to established social or political hierarchies. Indeed, classic work on the origins of democracy sees polarized conflict—not a shared civic culture or normative consensus—as the precursor to the development of democracy’s conflict-regulating mechanisms. It is incumbent on scholars, therefore, to identify which types of polarization are amenable to processing by democratic means, and whether some types may pose more intractable challenges.
This panel explores the nuances and complexity of populist polarization. Understood as an integral part of democracy and politicization, populist polarization is deeply intertwined with political processes. Taking a critical and reflexive stance, the panel brings together theoretical and empirical accounts in order to explore this multidimensional phenomenon and challenge conventional wisdom. The panel discusses:
· The over-significance put on ‘populist polarization’ as an explanatory factor for contemporary democratic erosion;
· Critical distinctions between polarization and unilateral radicalization;
· Processes where anti-populist and elitist politics are also responsible for democratic erosion and autocratization;
· The conditions under which populist polarization may also enhance democracy rather than harming it.
