Den svenska polariseringskartan
Partipolitiska åsiktskonflikter i svenska kommuner
Abstract
The Swedish polarisation map: Party dissent in Swedish local government
This article examines how geographical factors influence polarisation between political parties in local government. The Swedish polarisation map reveals significant variation in party dissent across Sweden’s 290 municipalities. Polarisation is assessed through a survey of all elected local politicians. Not all opinion conflicts are evident in political work, and the study differentiates between actual and manifested polarisation. We find that larger municipalities exhibit a higher degree of both forms of polarisation. The analysis suggests that the number of residents per se, rather than other factors associated with the size of municipalities, explains the results. Social distance and party organisations’ operational capacity are potential explanatory mechanisms for this size effect. Furthermore, the study links party fragmentation to a higher frequency of actual polarisation and the presence of local parties to manifested polarisation. This research sheds light on the reasons for varying degrees of polarisation, providing crucial insights for enhancing local democracy.