ABSTRACT
Social norms are unwritten rules that guide behavior. Democratic norms refer specifically to unwritten rules relating to the conduct of democracy, and include civility across party lines, acceptance of election outcomes, and tolerance for dissent. Declining democratic norms fit into a larger context of increasing partisan polarization and racial and ethnic inequalities, and continue a long-term trend. The erosion of democratic norms is related to the developing role of political parties as “mega-identities” increasingly aligned with other characteristics such as religion, race, and urban versus rural location. Complicating both the increasing role of descriptive norms and decline of democratic norms is the fact that perceived norms always match reality and perceptions of norms differ by political affiliation. While norms constrain behavior due to fears of social sanctions, violations of democratic norms occur in part because there can be a short-term payoff from breaking the unwritten campaign rules.
