Congratulations to John Barry Ryan and James N. Druckman, Samara Klar, Yanna Krupnikov, and Matthew Levendusky on the release of their new book, "Partisan Hostility and American Democracy: Explaining Political Divisions and When They Matter"!

Is partisan hostility damaging American democracy?

The short answer is yes: Political animosity, which scholars recognize as the defining feature of American politics this century, can degrade democratic functioning. But the question begs for a long answer: To see and face the implications of partisan hostility, we need a nuanced understanding of its effects and its boundaries.

A forthcoming book by some of the foremost scholars of polarization amasses empirical evidence of the consequences of political hostility in recent years and offers a theory of when it affects political beliefs and behaviors.

Authors James N. Druckman, Samara Klar, Yanna Krupnikov, Matthew Levendusky, and John Barry Ryan will release "Partisan Hostility and American Democracy: Explaining Political Divisions and When They Matter" (University of Chicago Press: 2024) on June 12.