Abstract
This study investigates whether national identity strength moderates election losers’ reactions to political defeat, focusing on social belonging and desire for transnational emigration or domestic migration following the 2024 U.S. presidential election. American partisans (N = 842) completed measures of national identity, perceived ideological fit, national and community belonging, and emigration and migration motivation. Results largely supported preregistered predictions: election losers with weak national identities reported less national belonging and stronger desire to emigrate, whereas those with strong national identities reported greater belonging and showed less interest in emigration. National identity also moderated community belonging and domestic migration motivation, with strong national identification buffering against poor local ideological fit. Exploratory analyses of open-ended responses echoed these patterns. These findings highlight the psychological importance of national identity in shaping how individuals navigate political loss and suggest that strong attachments might curb geographic political sorting.
Public significance statement
After losing a national election, some people feel they no longer belong in their country or community. This study finds that Americans with weaker national identities felt less belonging and were more likely to consider leaving after the 2024 U.S. presidential election, whereas those with stronger national identities were largely protected from these reactions to political loss.