Abstract

Political polarization has taken on a renewed centrality in the political analysis in recent years. From the American to the European context, many scholars have investigated the phenomenon by proposing innovative readings that, in continuity or in contrast to classical studies, moved back on the research agenda on the political polarization. This research map aims at understanding and evaluating the heuristic value and interest of this concept for the study of contemporary political institutions. The analysis contributes to improve the understanding of the main characteristics of political polarization in three main areas: electorate, legislature and government. Then, the article provides a review of the literature aimed at clarifying and mapping the defining aspects of the concept and discussing the ways in which it is measured. Along this line, the last section opens to future insights and encourages further analysis on the political polarization.