Replication Data for: Making Us Sick? Effects of Partisan Polarization on Health

Partisan polarization is a significant driver of stress and anxiety for the American public, and recent aggregate-level studies suggest polarization may be shaping Americans’ health. This individual-level study uses a new representative dataset of 2752 US residents surveyed between December 2019 and January 2020, testing why some Americans report more days of poor physical and mental health per month than others. Using negative binomial models, zero inflated models, and descriptive visualizations, we find evidence that polarization is detrimental to an individual's physical and mental health; the more distant they feel politically from the average voter in their state, the worse health outcomes they report. By uncovering the individual-level political drivers of health, this study aims to encourage further study and attention to the broader consequences of political polarization on American communities.