Political Polarization

In Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know Nolan McCarty takes listeners through what scholars know and don't know about the origins, development, and implications of our rising political conflicts, delving into social, economic, and geographic determinants of polarization in the United States. While the current political climate seems to suggest that extreme views are becoming more popular, McCarty also argues that, contrary to popular belief, the 2016 election was a natural outgrowth of 40 years of polarized politics, rather than a significant break with the past.

As American politics descends into a battle of anger and hostility between two groups called "left" and "right," people increasingly ask: What is the essential difference between these two ideological groups? In The Myth of Left and Right, Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis provide the surprising answer: nothing. As the authors argue, there is no enduring philosophy, disposition, or essence uniting the various positions associated with the liberal and conservative ideologies of today.

We live in a world of outrageous pain. Postmodernity—with its correct critique of pre-modernity's often fundamentalist and dogmatic stories about value—has deconstructed value and said value is not real. At the same time, regressive religious fundamentalism is on the rise all through the world. Fundamentalism, like post-modernism, says there is no universal Field of Value. Instead, it claims that value is mediated only through its particular prism of revelation. Outrageous pain is caused when we fail to recognize that we are all in a shared Field of Value.

When we are baffled by the insanity of the “other side”—in our politics, at work, or at home—it’s because we aren’t seeing how the conflict itself has taken over. That’s what “high conflict” does. It’s the invisible hand of our time. And it’s different from the useful...

Social psychologist Peter T. Coleman explores how conflict resolution and complexity science provide guidance for dealing with seemingly intractable political differences. Deploying the concept of attractors in dynamical systems, he explains why we are stuck in this rut as well as the unexpected ways that deeply rooted oppositions can and do change.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 In his groundbreaking book, The Politically Homeless Christian, Aaron Schafer explores what the Bible says about how we are called to engage with the world politically, what we are instructed to look for in leaders, and how we can bring the love of God to a broken and fallen world through the way we approach politics. How can Christians live out God's greatest two ...

Introducing "The Social Dilemma of Political Polarization," the must-read eBook for anyone concerned about our democracy's future. Social media has revolutionized the way we interact with politics, and it's not always for the better. In this insightful and thought-provoking book, we explore the impact of social media on our political landscape. From filter bubbles to selective exposure, algorithms, and echo chambers, we delve into the ways in which social media has contributed to the growing divide in our society. Our expert analysis highlights the dangers of confirmation bias and the ...

With Trump back in power, many Americans feel exhausted, furious, and afraid. But when those Americans aim their contempt and rage at wide swaths of fellow citizens on the "other side," it doesn’t weaken Trumpism — it feeds it. Trump thrives on division; contempt and rage help him (just as those emotions aid other highly us-vs-them leaders and activists). Those who wish to defeat Trump must try to understand the decades-long cycle of us-vs-them animosity that led to his rise — and that continue to lead many Americans, on the left and right, to support high-conflict, us-vs-them ...

“Should be required reading for anyone interested in preserving our 246-year experiment in self-government.” —The New York Times Book Review * “Well researched and eloquently presented.” —The Atlantic * “Delivers Cormac McCarthy-worthy drama; while the nonfictional asides imbue...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An insider account of activists, politicians, educators, and everyday citizens working to change minds, bridge divisions, and fight for democracy—from disinformation fighters to a leader of Black Lives Matter to Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and...

America is facing a reckoning. Trump and the Erosion of Democracy: Why America’s Institutions Are Failing is a gripping, timely examination of how partisan warfare, collapsing trust, and rising populism are shaking the very foundations of the American republic. Through vivid historical storytelling and sharp analysis, this book reveals how political polarization has reached levels not seen since the Civil War, why faith in Congress, the Supreme Court, and the electoral system is plummeting, and how presidents, governors, and even ordinary citizens are testing the limits of the ...

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER “Understanding how our political system has become broken in favor of reactionary ignorance is vital for saving our democracy. David Pakman accessibly explains how we got here and offers potential solutions for confronting the ongoing...

Liberal democracy in America has always contained contradictions—most notably, a noble but abstract commitment to freedom, justice, and equality that, tragically, has seldom been realized in practice. While these contradictions have caused dissent and even violence, there was always an underlying and evolving solidarity drawn from the cultural resources of America’s “hybrid Enlightenment”. James Davison Hunter, who introduced the concept of “culture wars” 30 years ago, tells us in this new book that those historic sources of national solidarity have now largely dissolved.

A Sweeping Histoy of the Great State of Wisconsin Wisconsin has always been a crossroads—a place where northern forests meet prairie grasslands, where European immigrant cultures collided with indigenous peoples, where radical reform movements battled corporate power. This sweeping history traces how a fur trade frontier became America's Dairyland, a Progressive laboratory, and ultimately the nation's most critical political battleground. From the effigy mounds of ancient cultures to the 2020 presidential election decided by fewer than 21,000 votes, Wisconsin's story mirrors America's own...

A murder at a quantum computing firm leads a hacker and an FBI agent into a race against the clock—before a polarized America reaches its breaking point. In the wake of a controversial Supreme Court decision, a firestorm of civil unrest erupts on both ends of the political spectrum. As Los Angeles grapples with the turmoil, a woman is found murdered inside an office building, mere feet from the most powerful quantum computer ever created. The next day, whitehat hacker Isabella Cray hears from an old flame, unexpectedly in town and acting strange. Before she knows it, Cray’s life is ...

If you were asked when America became polarized, your answer would likely depend on your age: You might say during Barack Obama’s presidency, or with the post-9/11 war on terror, or the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s, or the “Reagan Revolution” and the the rise of the New Right. How did the US become so divided? Fault Lines offers a richly told, wide-angle history view toward an answer.

As increasingly contentious politics in the United States raise concerns over the "politicization" of traditionally non-partisan institutions, many have turned their attention to how the American military has been—and will be—affected by this trend. Since a low point following the end of the Vietnam War, the US military has experienced a dramatic reversal of public opinion, becoming one of the most trusted institutions in American society. However, this trend is more complicated than it appears.

"Postjournalism and the Death of Newspapers may be the most profound analysis of the subject since the last time Marshall McLuhan wrote about it. Mir describes a universe in which the news now chases the reader rather than the other way around. Everything is told in a wonderful epigrammatic style – you will be digging up quotes from it for years." – Martin Gurri, author of “The Revolt of the Public”. "The most important book in media theory that has been written in 40 years." – Paul Levinson, author of “Digital McLuhan”. "Andrey Mir’s Postjournalism offers a powerful, ...

Can you trust what you see or hear in an election year? In a world where artificial intelligence can create perfectly faked videos, mimic anyone’s voice, and flood your feed with personalized propaganda, democracy is facing a new kind of threat. But it’s not just about the tech. It’s about how we respond to it. In this timely and accessible volume, author Carson Jennings breaks down the political impact of AI-generated disinformation, exploring how both conservatives and progressives view the risks, responsibilities, and potential solutions. With balanced insights and a conversational...

Not only do individuals have core beliefs about what the government should or should not do, but individuals have become more likely to support the party that best matches their policy attitudes by both identifying as a member of that party and voting for that party in elections. However, as Zingher demonstrates, voters' ability to match their attitudes to a party or candidate varies according to signals sent by elites and increases as parties become more polarized.