In the recent US affective polarization literature, the focus has clearly shifted on reducing partisan animosity. Several studies have confirmed that it is, indeed, possible to depolarize the electorate with various interventions (e.g. the megastudy by Voelkel et al. 2024). However, similar efforts remain almost non-existent in Europe and the rest of the world. With this paper, we aim to address this gap by developing and testing interventions to reduce affective polarization prior to the Polish presidential election (May 2025). Poland constitutes a suitable case for such endeavor, as it has simultaneously experienced increasing affective polarization, democratic backsliding and decreasing social solidarity.
Our project focuses on informing voters via online civic education tools. In particular, we try to correct their potential misperceptions about different candidates and their supporters – an approach that has shown promising results in the US context. We plan to identify the issues with largest misperceptions about the opposing side in the Polish context and address these with two online tools: a voting advice application (VAA) informing people about the real policy positions of the candidates, and a conversational chatbot that is aimed at correcting misperceptions about the supporters of different parties/candidates. Shortly before the election, we will field a survey experiment to test the effects of both interventions on feelings toward different parties, candidates and their supporters, and potential democratic norm violations. Our findings will serve as a foundation for European research on affective depolarization, bridging the gap in empirical studies between the US and Europe.