The Structure of Partisan Attitudes: Reexamining Partisan Dimensionality and Ambivalence

The true nature of Americans' party attachments remains an area of enduring controversy. Due to inadequate measures, scholars have argued without resolution as to whether partisanship is unidimensional and bipolar, or rather attitudes towards each party are on separate dimensions. Using more appropriate, psychologically specific, multi-item measures of positive and negative partisan evaluations, however, (1) goes a long way towards settling this problematic debate; and (2) allows for explorations of the heretofore unexamined role of ambivalence in partisanship. I find that partisan attitudes are unidimensional and strongly bipolar and that ambivalence weakens the impact of partisan attitudes in both attitudes and behaviors in predictable ways.