The Global Evolution of Political Polarization Research: A Bibliometric and Science-Mapping Analysis

Context: Political polarization has evolved from a predominantly ideological and partisan concern into a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing affective divisions, social identity, digital communication, misinformation, and governance. Despite rapid growth in this literature, its long-term intellectual and thematic development remains insufficiently mapped.

Aim: This study examines the global evolution of political polarization research from 1974 to 2026, identifying its publication patterns, influential contributors, collaboration networks, intellectual structure, thematic development, and emerging research directions.

Approach: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using 1,615 Scopus-indexed articles and reviews retrieved on 24 July 2026. Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny) and VOSviewer were employed for performance analysis and science mapping, including publication and citation analysis, country collaboration and citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping, multiple correspondence analysis, and thematic evolution.

Key Findings: Political polarization research expanded substantially after 2020, with an annual growth rate of 10.48%. The United States dominated publication output and total citations, while international collaboration became increasingly visible. The field evolved from ideological and partisan polarization toward affective polarization, social media, misinformation, political communication, governance, and artificial intelligence. Conceptual mapping indicates an increasingly cohesive and interdisciplinary knowledge structure.

Interpretation: The findings demonstrate that political polarization has developed into an interdisciplinary research domain connecting political, psychological, communicative, social, and technological perspectives.

Contribution: This study provides a longitudinal mapping of nearly five decades of political polarization scholarship by integrating performance analysis and science mapping, while identifying emerging priorities for comparative, interdisciplinary, and policy-relevant research.