Cesi Cruz, alongside Horacio Larreguy and Ernesto Tiburcio, wrote a VoxDev literature review on Political Polarisation.
VoxDevLits are living literature reviews that summarise the evidence base on policy-relevant topics related to development economics in an accessible manner. They are written by a community of scholars working on the specific topic addressed by each review and will be updated approximately once a year to evolve as new research is released.
In the review, they write: "Political polarisation has been rising sharply in both advanced and developing democracies, with implications for democratic accountability, institutional trust, and social cohesion. This VoxDevLit reviews recent empirical research on the causes and consequences of polarisation, with a focus on implications for low- and middle-income countries. We highlight structural and institutional drivers of polarisation, as well as the role of elite strategies and changes in the information environment, particularly the role of digital and social media. We also cover a growing body of research that identifies promising interventions to counter polarisation. These range from institutional reforms to shifts in media consumption and exposure, to social contact and psychological nudges at the individual level. We assess which interventions reduce polarisation, whether effects are sustained, and how results vary by context. We conclude by identifying gaps in the literature and the importance of adapting polarisation research to the political realities of low- and middle-income countries."
Cesi Cruz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Economics (by courtesy). She works on topics at the intersection of political science and economics, including elections, misinformation, gender, and inclusive development. Her research is based on fieldwork in Cambodia and the Philippines and combines social network analysis, surveys, and field experiments. Her work has been published in outlets such as the American Political Science Review, American Economic Review, American Journal of Political Science, Economic Journal, and Comparative Political Studies.
