Affective polarization and the support for populist and technocratic governance

How do citizens differ in their view of democratic governance when they are more affectively polarised? This study examines how the support for different forms of governance in Germany – focusing on populist governance, and technocratic governance – vary at different levels of affective polarization. We argue that heightened affective polarization is linked to support for less pluralist forms of governance. Populist voters, especially from radical right parties, tend to favor direct democracy, which aligns with their majoritarian beliefs, while non-populist voters with high affective polarization favor technocratic governance. Using observational survey data from Germany, we illustrate how preferences for different forms of governance vary at different levels of affective polarization and how this relationship is conditioned by partisan identity. These findings contribute to understanding how political divisions reshape democratic attitudes in multiparty systems.