Polarization

“The Founders worried about ‘factionalism’ becoming tyranny, but thought the nation so large and scattered that it would be impossible for the ‘like-minded’ to come together for evil ends. But modern social and mass media have helped turn citizens into mobs determined to destroy their political enemies. Do we have anything in common anymore?” - Acton

“The United States stands out among 17 advanced economies as one of the most conflicted when it comes to questions of social unity. A large majority of Americans say there are strong political and strong racial and ethnic conflicts in the U.S. and that most people disagree on basic facts.” - Pew

” Just before posting that entry, I came across a more recent study that around 20% of both Trump supporters and Biden supporters would like their man to just rule by decree.” - Veith

“Since 2016, the two best-known populists in the United States have been Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Think about that for a moment. What kind of phenomenon can bridge such a great divide?” - C.Today

“People who regularly listened to the opposite opinions did not adjust their views and become more balanced or moderate because for many people social media have become places where they are curating a self. And therefore they see opposing views as attacks on their identity” - TGC

“I was struck by how well [The Federalist No. 10] anticipated and addressed issues and problems we are having to deal with today: polarization, conflicting ideologies, political involvement of religion, diversity. And his insights also have application to smaller questions, such as whether a president can pardon himself.” - Cranach

“Will our election perpetuate and even intensify our divisions–with Republicans claiming Democrats stole the election, just as Democrats claimed that Republicans stole the election in 2016, with a ‘Resistance’ this time of the right–or might it usher in a new national mood that is tired of the constant conflict?” - Veith

“…our citizens are not impressed or happy with either party to the point that relatively small numbers of Americans believe that either party’s policies are moving the country in the right direction.” - The Dispatch

“Anybody currently over the age of 40 knows that every election since 1992 has been ‘the most important election of our lifetime.’ Even so, it feels like this year is extraordinary. There’s been fighting in the streets that reminds us old-timers of 1968, combined with a general sense of being on edge due to all the coronavirus issues.

“The biggest advantage of extremism is that it makes you feel good because it provides you with enemies. Let me explain: the great thing about having enemies is that you can pretend that all the badness in the whole world is in your enemies and all the goodness in the whole world is in you. Attractive isn’t it?” - People of the Lie