Political polarization in the United States
Divisions among people with different political ideologies in the United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Political polarization is a prominent component of politics in the United States.[1] Scholars distinguish between ideological polarization (differences between the policy positions) and affective polarization (a dislike and distrust of political out-groups), both of which are apparent in the United States.[2][3] In the last few decades, the U.S. has experienced a greater surge in ideological polarization and affective polarization than comparable democracies.[4][5]
Differences in political ideals and policy goals are indicative of a healthy democracy.[6] Scholarly questions consider changes in the magnitude of political polarization over time, the extent to which polarization is a feature of American politics and society,[7] and whether there has been a shift away from focusing on triumphs to dominating the perceived abhorrent supporters of the opposing party.[6]
Polarization among U.S. legislators is asymmetric, as it has primarily been driven by a rightward shift among Republicans in Congress.[8][9][10] Polarization has increased since the 1970s, with rapid increases in polarization during the 2000s onwards.[11] According to the Pew Research Center, members of both parties who have unfavorable opinions of the opposing party have doubled since 1994,[12] while those who have very unfavorable opinions of the opposing party are at record highs as of 2022.[13]