The personalization of politics and elite polarization have attracted considerable scholarly attention. We conducted an online experimental survey on policy proposals and voters’ evaluations of candidates during the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election. We see an elite effect on voters’ policy attitudes when controlling for party-related factors. The effect shows up as a negative cue but not as a positive cue. Moreover, the negative effect varies by candidate. These findings suggest that in policy attitude formation, opposition to a candidate has a stronger effect than liking a candidate. Overall, this study extends our understanding of the elite effect from the perspective of personalized politics with evidence from the Taiwanese electoral context. This information is critical not only for understanding the political consequences of polarization but also for understanding how it relates to opinion formation among citizens.
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September/October 2024
Research Article|
April 30 2024
The Effect of Elite Cues on Policy Attitudes through the Lens of Affective Polarization in Taiwan: The Potent Force of Animosity
Chih-Yu Chin,
Chih-Yu Chin is Associate Professor in the Department of Information Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan (ROC).
Email: <[email protected]>.
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Cheng-Lung Wang
Cheng-Lung Wang is a Research Assistant in the Department of Information Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan (ROC).
Email: <[email protected]>.
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Email: <[email protected]>.
Email: <[email protected]>.
Asian Survey (2024) 64 (5): 730–755.
Citation
Chih-Yu Chin, Cheng-Lung Wang; The Effect of Elite Cues on Policy Attitudes through the Lens of Affective Polarization in Taiwan: The Potent Force of Animosity. Asian Survey 1 October 2024; 64 (5): 730–755. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2024.2121910
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