In theory, partisanship is synonymous with the selection of a political party that one feels best reflects one’s policy preferences, as a time saving tool to help make decisions on a ballot that will best reflect those policy preferences. However, notably in American politics, partisanship is increasingly a social identifier in which people choose parties based on largely social cues and then adopting the policy preferences of the party. This form of partisanship is generally regarded as a negative force in a democracy.