The Polarization Paradox: How State Wealth and Online Media Consumption Affect Polarization

Previous valuable scholarship has found that wealth inequality can affect political polarization within states. However, less is known regarding how overall levels of state wealth and online media consumption affect polarization. Thus, this study examines how state wealth and online media consumption affect polarization in 157 states from multiple regions and levels of development from 2000 to 2022. When including standard controls and controlling for potential endogeneity, the findings reveal that greater state wealth and online media consumption are associated with increased polarization. The rationale for the findings is that greater state wealth and online media consumption increase the prevalence of postmaterialist values within states that often clash with materialist values, leading to heightened polarization. These findings have important implications in considering how state wealth and online media consumption interact to influence polarization cross-nationally.