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Cited by 330Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationUrban, Neighborhood, and Segregation StudiesOpinion Dynamics and Social Influence

The measurement of partisan sorting for 180 million voters

Brown, Jacob R., Enos, Ryan D.·2021·Nature Human Behaviour
DOI 10.1038/s41562-021-01066-z
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Abstract

Segregation across social groups is an enduring feature of nearly all human societies and is associated with numerous social maladies. In many countries, reports of growing geographic political polarization raise concerns about the stability of democratic governance. Here, using advances in spatial data computation, we measure individual partisan segregation by calculating the local residential segregation of every registered voter in the United States, creating a spatially weighted measure for more than 180 million individuals. With these data, we present evidence of extensive partisan segregation in the country. A large proportion of voters live with virtually no exposure to voters from the other party in their residential environment. Such high levels of partisan isolation can be found across a range of places and densities and are distinct from racial and ethnic segregation. Moreover, Democrats and Republicans living in the same city, or even the same neighbourhood, are segregated by party.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41562-021-01066-z

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6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • A potential hurdle is homogenous networks, given residential partisan sorting, media partisan sorting, and patterns of canvassing.

    “A potential hurdle, given residential partisan sorting (Brown & Enos, 2021), media partisan sorting (Broockman & Kalla, 2023b), and patterns of canvassing (Nall et al., 2018) is homogenous networks.”

    From How to study democratic backsliding (2024) · cites this paper as Brown & Enos, 2021

  • Many partisans in the USA appear to live in areas where they have little exposure to out-party members.

    “In any case, many partisans in the USA appear to live in areas where they have little exposure to out-party members211,330.”

    From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [211]

  • The ideological homogeneity of social networks is enhanced by structural dynamics such as geographic sorting, the growing politicization of the rural-urban divide, and 'lifestyle' differences that are correlated with political orientation.

    “The ideological homogeneity of social networks is enhanced by structural dynamics such as geographic sorting209–211, the growing politicization of the rural–urban divide212,213, and ‘lifestyle’ differences that are correlated with political orientation107,214–216”

    From Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts (2022) · cites this paper as [211]

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Authors
Brown, J. R., & Enos, R. D.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Brown, Jacob R.
  • Enos, Ryan D.
ORCID
Venue
Nature Human Behaviour
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-03-08
Volume
5
Issue
8
Pages
998-1008
ISSN
2397-3374 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41562-021-01066-z
OpenAlex
W3135902915
Cited by
330
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 69 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 5 · 2018: 1
FWCI
152.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2025-01-28)
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Human Behaviour (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
Keywords
residential segregation, political polarization, spatial segregation
MeSH terms
Social Segregation, Humans, Politics, Residence Characteristics, United States, Spatial Analysis

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