Polarized Perceptions and the Quality of Representation: a Polish Perspective

Populism’s rise in Western democracies is attributed to cultural and economic factors. These explanations are less applicable to the post-communist context, where the shift began with the fall of communism subsequent socio-cultural, political, and economic transitions. Democratization introduced new social divides based on the dichotomy of transition winners and losers, corresponding to varying stances on the Church, the state, wealth distribution, community inclusion, and political ideology, shaping the post-communist populist narrative. Widespread contestation of political representation stem from political institutions failing to address citizen needs, fostering distrust in political elites and dissatisfaction with democratic functionality. The gap between professional political elites, typically well-educated, wealthy and liberal, and the average citizen's socioeconomic status and beliefs, results in a disconnect in addressing societal issues and generating solutions. Right-wing parties have capitalized on these grievances. Using populist, Manichean discourse they have further undermined trust and legitimization of their political opponents. This led to an erosion of trust in political elites and a crisis of legitimacy, directly undermining the foundations of representative democracy. The Polish experience offers a salient example. Since 2015, PiS has delineated the boundaries of 'us' versus 'them,' augmenting its political narrative with the delivery of generous social policies for its followers. This approach has fostered a robust group identity, triggering hostility towards predefined out-groups, capitalising on the economic and cultural divisions within Polish society. Affiliation with PiS has precipitated the adoption of group policies, culminating in high ideological cohesion for the in-group and increased distance between groups, accompanied by a significant rise in negative affect towards others, portrayed as harmful or even threatening to the existence of the 'in-group’. By emphasising their uniqueness and differences from opponents, PiS convinced people of its sincerity in addressing their concerns. This effect has been amplified by loyal media’s identity journalism and emotional narratives that strengthen loyalty towards a chosen party. As a result, people have an entrenched belief that only this party can stand for their interests and values. Concurrently, trust in other parties is eroded, as they are portrayed as harmful or threatening to the existence of the 'in-group.' This paper examines the impact of ideological polarisation political representation assessment. Using PNES 2023 data, we investigate the level of ideological coherence, defined through a range of issues including governmental efficiency, business regulation, social welfare, immigration, military strength, corporate profitability, environmental regulations, and societal acceptance of homosexuality. By juxtaposing ideological divides with public perceptions of representational quality, we articulate the extent to which ideological divides align with citizens' satisfaction with their representation. We also verify which ideological stances are crucial to deem political representation of high quality. Examining the Polish case, we can gain critical insights into broader trends affecting democracies worldwide on how polarisation and distrust resulting from populist movements, realign political parties, and transform democratic practices. On turn, this can tell us more about how polarisation and distrust challenge the fabric of representation and provide a basis for developing new strategies to enhance democratic resilience in polarised societies.