Partisan or Principled? Explaining Political Differences in Attitudes About Democratic Norm Violations

Democracy in the United States faces significant challenges, with public tolerance for undemocratic actions raising concerns about partisan interests undermining democratic norms. This research examined the psychological mechanisms underlying support for such actions and whether they differ between Republicans and Democrats. Three studies (N = 3,149) tested competing explanations for partisan differences by presenting scenarios where violations of democratic norms either benefited, harmed, or had no impact on respondents’ political party. Across studies, partisans rationalized politically advantageous violations as more democratic and opposed them as less than neutral or harmful actions. Republicans supported vote-by-mail restrictions more than Democrats, even without partisan benefit. That said, both parties strongly opposed a different violation of voter access. These findings suggest that although Americans broadly support democratic principles, partisan interests and differing interpretations of specific democratic practices shape their differences in opposition to undemocratic actions.