Archives for September 2021

The United States’ democracy is being threatened by increasingly polarized politics.
Other countries’ histories offer warnings and suggest possible solutions.

by Jennifer McCoy and Benjamin Press
From a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The rise of political polarization in the United States has pushed analysts to ask a fundamental question: what long-term effects will polarized politics have on the United States’ democracy?¹ Existing evidence provides ample reason for concern. At the elite level, deep political divides in Washington have crippled efforts at legislative compromise, eroded institutional and behavioral norms, and incentivized politicians to pursue their aims outside of gridlocked institutions, including through the courts. Yet these divides extend far beyond the corridors of power, as polarization at the mass level is pushing Americans across the country to divide themselves into distinct and mutually exclusive political camps. The rise of an “us versus them” mindset and political identity in American sociopolitical life is evident in everything from the rise of highly partisan media to the decline in Americans’ willingness to marry someone from the opposing political party.² Even more concerningly, these dynamics are contributing directly to a steep rise in political violence.³ Polarization has already brought on serious problems—what more lies ahead? Are insights on this critical question available from the experience of other polarized democracies? [Read more…]