When Norwegian political scientist Lars Erik Berntzen asked people in nine democracies to reflect on what they shared with political opponents, something remarkable happened: in eight countries, the simple act of naming common ground—like valuing hard work or wanting safe communities—nudged people toward greater empathy. Feelings toward opposing parties warmed by 3 to 10 points on a 100-point scale, a shift as large as the entire increase in U.S. polarization over recent decades. This small psychological intervention, rooted in decades of social science, didn’t just soften attitudes—it revealed something deeper: affective polarization isn’t just a symptom of democratic decay; it’s a driver.
Berntzen and his team set out to test a widely held assumption: that when we dislike those who vote differently, it erodes democracy itself. Through a large-scale survey experiment published in the European Journal of Political Research, they measured how people felt about their own party versus their least-favorite one, then split participants into groups. One-third were prompted to consider shared values across political lines. The results were clear: reduced polarization led to greater support for democratic norms, more openness to compromise, and less willingness to discriminate against political rivals. For the first time, the study established a causal link—polarization doesn’t just accompany democratic backsliding; it actively fuels it.
The findings held across diverse democracies including Norway, Germany, and New Zealand. But one country defied the trend: the United States. There, the same exercise had no measurable effect. While Americans still hold strong negative feelings toward opposing partisans, attempts to soften those views through common-ground reflection didn’t register. That doesn’t mean U.S. polarization is harmless—far from it. Rather, Berntzen suggests the problem may have deepened to a point where simple interventions no longer reach it. The U.S. has long been the default case study in polarization research, with scholars extrapolating its dynamics globally. This study challenges that assumption, showing the American experience is not universal—and may even be an outlier.
Still, the broader message is hopeful: in most democracies, people’s hearts and minds can be shifted. When citizens see shared humanity across political divides, democratic attitudes rebound. The tools exist to rebuild mutual respect, and the experiment proves they can work at scale. While the U.S. may need more intensive solutions, the rest of the democratic world now has evidence that healing political animosity isn’t just possible—it’s already happening.
As polarization continues to test democracies, this research offers a roadmap: talk less about differences, and start asking what we all hold dear.