Partisans Treat Politics Like Sports Rivalries

A new Political Research Quarterly study finds that many Americans who identify with one of the major parties base their voting decisions more like a sports fan than an informed voter concerned about issues.

Co-author Patrick Miller said that what motivates partisans to vote is “not high-minded, good-government, issue-based goals.” Instead, they think, “I hate the other party. I’m going to go out, and we’re going to beat them.”

Interestingly, when it came to uncivil attitudes, 38% of partisans agreed that their parties should use any tactics necessary to “win elections and issue debates.”