A Primer on Politicization, Polarization, Radicalization, and Activation and their Implications for Democracy in Times of Rapid Technological Change

Governments around the world fear a loss of social cohesion and risk of harm to individuals and democratic processes that stem from politicization, polarization, and radicalization. We argue that these processes of social influence provide the motivation for – but are not sufficient for – mobilization (the behavior of engaging in collective action). To be able to collectively act, people require the capability and resources to do so, which can be developed during an activation process. We clarify the common and distinct aspects of each process so the common drivers, but unique effects, can be conceptualized and operationalized by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers who wish to understand democratic resilience.