Origin of (a)symmetry: the evolution of out-party distrust in the United States

Teeselink, Bouke Klein and Melios, Georgios ORCID: 0000-0001-5027-9829 (2025) Origin of (a)symmetry: the evolution of out-party distrust in the United States. Journal of Politics, 87 (2). ISSN 0022-3816

	Text (Origins_of_Asymmetry) - Accepted Version Repository staff only until 5 March 2026. Download (126kB)
	Text (Origins_of_Asymmetry_supplementary_information) - Accepted Version Repository staff only until 5 March 2026. Download (438kB)

Abstract

Partisans tend to be skeptical of governments only when they are led by the other side. This president-in-power effect threatens democratic functioning by limiting partisans’ ability to hold their own party accountable. As polarization rises, the problems associated with this phenomenon are likely to intensify. This article examines the evolution and drivers of the president-in-power effect since 1974. Mirroring the general rise in polarization, we document a steady increase in the president-in-power effect. Our research demonstrates that this increase can be attributed to an intensification of partisan identification, combined with a growing perceived ideological distance from the opposed party. Contrasting the narrative that polarization is stronger on the right, however, we find evidence that the president-in-power effect has grown faster for Democrats than for Republicans. To explain this pattern, we show that highly educated people, who display a stronger president-in-power effect, have shifted toward the left in recent years.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 Southern Political Science Association
Divisions:	Hellenic Observatory
Subjects:	J Political Science > JK Political institutions (United States) J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Date Deposited:	17 Mar 2025 12:33
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2025 14:58
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/127563

Actions (login required)

View Item