Political Polarization: How Did We Become So Divided?

In romance novels, opposites supposedly attract. The polar opposite is true in politics. Disagreements are a fundamental part of politics, but the existence of some common ground between people with differing opinions should be as well. Yet we’ve all heard anecdotes of increasing polarization, especially online. And in many people’s eyes, the pandemic particularly highlighted our growing differences. So, it’s time to take a moment and analyze, scientifically, why we should care about polarization and why it may be happening.

First, it’s worth asking whether the tales of increasing polarization are indeed true. It turns out the literature on polarization is somewhat unclear, particularly in the US. Some papers claim polarization among ordinary people is deepening while others say that’s not true; some say polarization is a problem for society while others say it’s not or that its impact is unclear (1). We often think of science as the provider of the sole, correct conclusion, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer here. Nonetheless, here’s what we do know.