Political Polarization

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.

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.

High conflict is what happens when discord distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, the kind with an us and a them. In this state, the brain behaves differently. We feel increasingly certain of our own superiority, and everything we do to try to end the conflict, usually makes it worse. Eventually, we can start to mimic the behavior of our adversaries, harming what we hold most dear. In this book, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley investigates how good people get captured by high conflict—and how they break free.

“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 ...

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.

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 essential guide for American liberals worried about the future of our country.” —Taylor Dotson, author of "The Divide" “I felt saner and less afraid for the future after reading [his books].” —Brendan Bartholomew, reader If you're someone who sees Trump and Trumpism as dangerous threats to American democracy, it's of the utmost importance to understand the dynamics that led us to this moment in time. This book will help you understand how we got here — and how we might avoid worst-case scenarios. How does a democracy fall apart? One path — the path we’re currently on ...

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 ...

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.

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.

Rarely has America been so bitterly divided. Partisans now view those with differing opinions as the enemy. Cable news programs inflame passions rather than inform viewers. Social media provides the most irrational partisans a venue to spew their hatred and bias. Town hall meetings, once the staple of representative democracy, have degenerated into choreographed shouting matches. Money flows into campaigns at unprecedented rates. Centrists are nearly extinct in Congress, where compromise has become a dirty word.

How did America become so screwed up? The answer is probably not what you expect. To find the truth, journey through the tumultuous history of a nation that has weathered storms of epic proportions. From the haunting legacy of chattel slavery to the fiery crucible of the Civil War, there has long been a struggle for unity and identity—to shape the American landscape. As brother fought brother on the battlefield, families were torn asunder, and the soil of the nation was stained with the blood of countless fallen soldiers. Yet, even in the aftermath of war, healing remained elusive as ...

Increasingly, political parties have adopted not only different policies, but different sets of facts. As E. J. Fagan argues, partisan think tanks have helped create these alternate realities in their capacity as de facto formal party organizations. Through the analyses generated by aligned think tanks, political elites on both the left and right frequently offer radically different assessments of a policy's consequences.

In Talking Across the Divide, social justice activist Justin Lee explains how to break through the five key barriers that make people resist differing opinions. With a combination of psychological research, pop-culture references, and anecdotes from Justin's many years of experience mediating contentious conversations, this book will help you understand people on the other side of the argument and give you the tools you need to change their minds - even if they've fallen for "fake news."

Durrett has written a potent and excoriating view of the current state of American politics. He provides analysis of why both the conservatives and liberals are impotent and feckless to solve our problems. And why they will only make our problems worse. While his descriptions of both parties and agendas are well known, what he provides is an interesting take on why they will both fail. Neither side will want to read this book and see their weaknesses exposed. But for those who are interested in understanding why America is on a collision course of transformation, it is quite a read. The ...

"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, ...

Are you feeling lost in the cacophony of today's polarized world, where every headline deepens the divide and dims the light of hope? What if you could not just navigate, but actively transform this landscape of discord and fear? "The Change Code" is your compass through the storm. Monica Bourgeau brings to life the profound insights of Spiral Dynamics, offering a lucid guide to help you: Foresee Change: Harness the predictive power of emerging cultural patterns. Transform Lives: Wield groundbreaking tools to bring about radical improvements in your life and the lives of others. Discover ...

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.

At a time of political tribalism and ideological purity tests, it can be hard to remember that cross-party hatred isn't an inherent feature of partisan politics. But, as this book reminds us, a backward glance - or a quick survey of so many retiring members of Congress - tells us that even in the past decade partisan rancor has grown exponentially. In Angry Politics, Stacy G. Ulbig asks why. Even more to the point, she traces the trend to the place where it all might begin - the college campus, among the youngest segment of the electorate.

Lead with purpose. Fulfill your legacy. Save the republic.The United States has a powerful purpose - "all are created equal", "E Pluribus Unum", and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. But this is not our reality as 97% of us are unhealthy, 84% of us are stressed out, 78% of us are paycheck to paycheck, and most of us no longer believe in the "American Dream". And these are just the averages - life is much worse for women and BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, e.g., $.01 of wealth in Black families for every dollar of wealth in white families. Given our political polarization and ...