Who Likes the Fight? Conflict-Appetite, Intra-Party Hostility, and Party Support

Party disunity has been associated with both negative and positive electoral consequences in previous research. We argue here that it is in particular hostility in intra-party relations that is negatively evaluated by citizens, while mere preference heterogeneity is not. Additionally, citizens who are generally conflict averse will react more strongly to party infighting (though they are less likely to register it, too). We test these arguments with two original and representative surveys in Germany. One develops separate measures of intra-party heterogeneity and hostility perceptions to evaluate their interrelationships with citizens’ general conflict orientations and party evaluations. The second survey includes a vignette experiment in order to causally identify the negative effect of intra-party hostility (but not intra-party heterogeneity) on party support. By clarifying the reasons behind the divergent consequences of disunited party behavior, we hope to contribute to recent attempts to connect organizational and behavioral studies of party disunity.