Elite Bipartisanship and the Undoing of Partisan Dehumanization: Experimental Evidence from South Korea

• 발행기관: 한국학술연구원
• 저자명: Jun Young Choi Junseok Kim Bon Sang Koo
• 간행물 정보: 『Korea Observer』Vol 57, No 3, 361~390쪽, 전체 30쪽
• 주제분류: 사회과학 > 정치외교학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2026.09.30

국문 초록

Partisan dehumanization—the tendency to deny full humanity of political opponents— threatens democratic norms. This study investigates the presence of such attitudes in South Korea and uses mediation analysis to test whether elite bipartisanship can reduce them. Through an online experiment measuring both blatant and subtle forms of dehumanization, we found pervasive partisan dehumanization of out-partisans, closely linked with affective polarization. Exposure to elite bipartisanship reduced dehumanization, with effects varying by party affiliation. Among Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) supporters, significant decreases in dehumanization emerged both directly and indirectly, as shown by mediation analysis. For People Power Party (PPP) supporters, however, reductions only occurred when bipartisan cooperation was explicitly recognized, indicating a mediated pathway. These findings demonstrate that elite bipartisanship can help humanize political opponents, but its impact is mediated and depends on partisan identity, underscoring the need for tailored interventions to address political animosity.

목차

Ⅰ. Introduction

Ⅱ. Literature Review and Hypothesis

Ⅲ. Experimental Design

Ⅳ. Results

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Reference

키워드

partisan dehumanization elite bipartisanship polarization South Korea