Introduction
America has experienced the continued rise of political polarization, with the percentage of people presenting purely conservative or purely liberal opinions doubling since the dawn of the twenty-first century; this has made it difficult for governments to pass legislation due to heavy opposition from the other side built on the belief that the other party threatens the wellbeing of the country (Pew Research Center, 2018, p. 1). The levels of polarization have deepened even further with the distinction in association with people of the same political affiliation, location of residence, and any other fields of association. By 1994, only a small percentage of Republicans and Democrats had a very negative opinion of the opposing political party; the number of strongly negative views have close to double by 2022 (Pew Research Center, 2018, p. 1). While some scholars argue that voters are the primary drivers of political polarization in the United States, others state that media, interest groups, political elites, and electoral rules have also played a big part in political polarization. This essay focuses on voters being the primary drivers of political polarization in the States; contrary opinions state that the media and other listed players are the major drivers of polarization.
Research done by the Pew Research Centre in America in 2021 found that the number of citizens holding more central opinions that are neither liberal nor conservative has continued to decline (PS 1 Lecture 21 Spring 2023 Political Polarization. pptx [PowerPoint Slides], slide 23). The split in political ideologies has continued to be more prominent, with the partisan sorting phenomenon being more apparent; this involves Republicans occupying some parts of America while Democrats occupy other regions; the increase in this split has risen in recent years. Partisan sorting has deepened the roots of political polarization by deepening loyalties to particular political affiliations and increasing contempt for the opposing political party, making bridging the political ideologies all the more difficult. By forming the bulk of American citizens, voters can be seen to be the highest contributors to political polarization in the States (Pierson, 2019, p. 6). Another explanation that supports voters being the leading cause of political polarization is the rise of political engagement of voters to the political system and recent affairs. America has seen a rise in voter turnouts, with the highest being recorded in the 2020 elections of the century. This is proof of the rising interest of voters in political matters and their increased ability to determine which political party takes center stage in the ruling government. The deep passion for politics can also be attributed to the desire to avoid seeing the opposing party taking up the government. The deepening political ideologies have also birthed a resistance to compromise between the two parties in major national decisions.
Alternative opinions state that there are other major contributors to political polarization in the USA; one such view is that the media plays an imperative role in shaping political ideologies. Research by the Pew Research Centre in 2021 showed that American trust in media has declined for Democrats and Republicans. Recent events have refuted the role of media in political polarization; an article by Matthew Levendursky shows a steep decline in usage of media facilities; twenty-one percent of Americans have shown trust for news aired on television and twenty percent for newspapers (Levendusky, 2018, p. 1). The sharp decline in media loyalty can be attributed to the partisan nature that certain media houses have depicted; Republicans in America are particularly bitter about this. The phenomenon of motivated reasoning, where the history of media being biased to side with certain political divides, has also resulted in a decreased trust in media (Levendusky, 2018, p. 5). The lack of media trust can be seen as more a result of political polarization than a cause of it. From this, it is evident that media has not been a majority player in political polarization in the States Lecture 18 PS1 Spring 2023 The Media. Pptx [ PowerPoint Slides], slide 20).
An alternative argument also states that political activists and parties have played a significant role in political polarization. Activists present a small minority of voters whose knowledge of political matters exceeds the general public’s. Following their deep political know-how and influence, activists have been known to coerce political leaders to take extreme standpoints that influence voters’ political views (Levin, 2021, p. 3). The power of political activists dates back even before political polarization was born; activists, including political donors, delegates, campaign contributors, and volunteers, have generated influence since the 1960s. Activists have contributed to polarization in two ways: due to their increased political awareness, and they take advantage of the ignorance of voters on political matters to persuade them to take political standpoints. Another strategy includes swaying the views of the political parties they fund (ResearchGate, 2015, p. 71). By changing the political party’s standpoint, voters less inclined to deeper issues pertaining to political agenda are easily swayed to take up the desired opinion (Lecture 20 PS1 Spring 2023 Political Parties and Polarization [PowerPoint Slides], slide 14). Though most politicians underestimate the power of activists, the debate on pro-life and abortion in the legislature of the States in 2010 proves the power of activists, where political leaders seem to be pawns in a larger game of chess.
Interest groups, like political activists, aim to pursue a particular interest for their supporters and contribute to political polarization. Interest groups operate by gathering public opinions and pushing for elected officials to support certain opinions; this, in return, coerces voters to affiliate with the opinion of the preferred candidate (PS1 Lecture 19 Interest Groups Spring 2023. Pptx [PowerPoint Slides], slide 23). Interest groups use resources such as media houses to spread partisan or extreme messages aimed at polarizing the citizens (ResearchGate, 2015, p. 74). Political elites, such as elected members, also play a role in polarization; elites’ views reflect their supporters’ views. Supporters are mobilized to do the same by taking extreme standpoints, thus controlling their political opinions (Wiatr, 2022, p. 57). Interest groups and political elites play a significant role in political polarization in the United States; they, however, do not outdo the power of the voters when choosing political sides, even if they influence their choices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, political polarization in the United States has only grown since its inception and has proven adverse for the country; it promotes division and disdain among the citizens. The major contributors to political polarization are voters, including interest groups, media, and activists. Political polarization has made it all the more difficult to bring elites to a fruitful discussion; and to institute policies aimed at the betterment of America; opposing political parties make it harder as each of the rival parties, the Republicans and Democrats, view each other as not working in the best interests of America. All in all, the two parties must try to come o a consensus because the political divide only seems to grow more each day. Voter segregation should also be tackled to avoid popularized and localized opinions infringing democratic and free decision-making based on understanding all facts.
References
Lecture 20 PS1 Spring 2023 Political Parties and Polarization.pptx[PowerPoint Slides].
Levendusky S. M. (2018). The News Media and the Public: Any Bright Spots?
Lecture 18 PS1 Spring 2023 The Media. Pptx [ PowerPoint Slides].
Levin, S. A., Milner, H. V., & Perrings, C. (2021). The dynamics of political polarization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(50), e2116950118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2116950118
Pew Research Center (2018). Pew Political Polarization. pdf
Pierson P., Schikler E. (2019). Madison’s Constitution Under Stress: A Developmental Analysis of Political Polarization
PS1 Lecture 19 Interest Groups Spring 2023. Pptx [PowerPoint Slides]
PS 1 Lecture 21 Spring 2023 Political Polarization.pptx[PowerPint Slides]
ResearchGate (2015). PartyActivistsInterestGroupsandPolarizationinAmericanPolitics1-3.pdf.
PS1 Lecture 19 Interest Groups Spring 2023. Pptx [PowerPoint Slides]
PS 1 Lecture 21 Spring 2023 Political Polarization.pptx[PowerPint Slides]
Wiatr, J. J. (2022). Democracy and political leadership. In Political Leadership Between Democracy and Authoritarianism: Comparative and Historical Perspectives (1st ed., pp. 42–73). Verlag Barbara Budrich. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv27tctmb.7
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