This is a fast read over at Vox about political polarization and its impacts on both Congress and society. Has political polarization led to more social distance? Or do we just agree not to talk politics with friends with different views?
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Here's how many Republicans don't want their kids to marry Democrats - Vox
I think the party polarization is outrageous today and I have to agree that it does lead to social distance, especially for people who are heavily opinionated.
ReplyDeleteThe article states, "The problem with party polarization is that the American political system typically requires bipartisan coalitions in order to get big things done, but during periods of intense political polarization, it is almost impossible for those coalitions to form."
Unfortunately, I feel like I'm used to such division. It's sad that it is impacting social lives as well, as shown by this article, statistics and bumper sticker pic.
I also think that this polarization and decreased efficiency is related to the growing mechanistic view of government we discussed in our first class. Under this view individuals expect the government to meet their individual needs, leaving little room for compromise when not everyone completely agrees. This unwillingness to compromise could make the parties' views seem significantly more polarized now than they were in the 50s and 60s, when in reality each side is just less willing to compromise.
ReplyDeleteI could not believe that politics could have an impact on an individual 's happiness. Party polarization is the consequence of a messed up political system and the individual's benefit is above government's benefits. There is not much can be done to fix this problem and this should never happen.
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