Immigration as a Perpetually Divisive Issue: How Moral Boundaries Keep Political Conflict Alive in Social Life

Some political issues drive citizens apart even long after their political salience has waned. As a lingering force in society, these issues have demonstrably disruptive consequences, shaping group animosity and intolerance far beyond the political sphere. Yet, the social processes that sustain such division once elite politicization subsides remain poorly understood. Extending work on issue-based affective polarization, we develop a theory of moral boundary-drawing as a central mechanism perpetuating political conflict in social life. We use the depoliticized topic of immigration in Denmark as our theory-informing case and analyze 27 focus group discussions to uncover the social dynamics of moral boundary-drawing in-action. Our analysis demonstrates how moral boundaries make division sticky, solidified, and potent, with implications for understanding the transformation of political conflict into deep social divides—ready to be reactivated and mobilized for political purposes.