Polarização política: uma análise multinível da opinião do eleitor brasileiro

Abstract

Seeking to broaden the understanding of political polarization in Brazil, this study examines the extent to which the Left–Right ideological identification is related to individuals’ opinions on issues of politics, economy and government, morality, and trust in institutions. It also aims to analyze the temporal trends of these relationships. To this end, we used data from the AmericasBarometer for the years 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019, estimating a multilevel model with random intercepts and slopes. The results indicate that ideological identification and Brazilian voters’ opinions have become increasingly correlated over time, with issues related to trust in institutions emerging as the main predictors of this association. Furthermore, subgroup analyses show that voters with greater interest in political matters tend to express opinions more closely aligned with their ideological orientation, and this alignment appears to be strengthening over the years.