Why Is America So Politically Polarized? -- Now with POLL

[What Would Jesus Do?]

"Experiments have revealed that 'children as young as two will prefer other children randomly assigned to the same T-shirt color,' Christakis writes."

That's one of several comments that stood out when reading this article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/01/20/polarization-science-evolution-psychology/

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Mason and Christakis point to a famous-among-academics experiment from 1954. Social psychologist Muzafer Sherif took 22 Boy Scouts and separated them into two groups camping at Robbers Cave State Park in Oklahoma. Only after a week did they learn that there was another group at the far end of the campground.

What they did next fascinated the research team. Each group developed irrational contempt for the other. The boys in the other group were seen not just as rivals, but as fundamentally flawed human beings. Only when the two groups were asked to work together to solve a common problem did they warm up to one another.

 

[BrianNole777]

Satan and social media.

Truly.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The American political system may cultivate “out-group” hatred, as academics put it. One of the scarce resources in this country is political power at the highest levels of government. The country has no parliamentary system in which multiple parties form governing coalitions.

Add to this fact the redistricting that ensures there are fewer truly competitive congressional races. The two parties have inexorably moved further apart ideologically, and leaders are more likely to be punished — “primaried” — if they reach across the aisle. And because many more districts are now deeply red or blue, rather than a mix of constituencies, House members have fewer reasons to adopt moderate positions.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Satan and social media.

Truly.

Social media is definitely a factor.

 

[tumorboy]

Really good marketing.

 

[Moral]

It's mostly just divisive for the average American. If you are in the donor class it is mostly unified and full of wins.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Human nature hasn’t changed, but technology has. The fragmentation of the media has made it easier to gather information in an echo chamber, Iyengar said. He calls this “sorting.” Not only do people cluster around specific beliefs or ideas, they physically cluster, moving to neighborhoods where residents are likely to look like them and think like them.

Partisan clustering has increased even within households. In 1965, Iyengar said, only about 60 percent of married couples had the same party registration. Today, the figure is greater than 85 percent, he said.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Research shows that affective polarization is intensifying across the political spectrum. Recent survey data revealed that more than half of Republicans and Democrats view the other party as “a threat,” and nearly as many agree with the description of the other party as “evil,” Mason said.

Asked in the summer of 2022 if they agree or disagree that members of the other party “lack the traits to be considered fully human — they behave like animals,” about 30 percent in both parties agreed, Mason’s research shows.

 

[jawatkins]

Satan and social media.

Truly.

You realize that your god is supposed to reign over heaven and hell? A lording satan should only be a story to a true believer. Satan would be locked into hell and not have any chance to influence humans. A belief in satan controlling people is a belief that your god is fallible.

 

[JRHawk2003]

Social Media is the main factor in this, throw in a cult of personality, and poof...

I think it will recede if we can get through this year.

 

[jawatkins]

The theology is that Satan exists to test humans so we use our free will to choose God or not. This life is a test.

Satan even tested Jesus in the wilderness.

Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 4:1-11 - New International Version

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness - Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is...

www.biblegateway.com

What a load of horseshit.

 

[Aardvark86]

I tend to think social media is probably #1 contributor. After all, except for a five year interlude of unpleasantness, we made it about 220 years without otherwise truly being at each other's throats. At a certain level, I suppose 'peace and prosperity' is a contributing factor - consistent with the thesis of the social science above -- inasmuch as we've often had a third external 'tribe' to unite against in our history as an alternastive to being at each other's throats.

A really interesting take on this issue as a political history matter is SP Huntington's great book American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony. While the book is a little dated in its cold war mindset in spots, his basic thesis is that (i) americans are defined by nothing more than a set of shared values (eg, liberty, equality, limited government, opportunity society), (ii) those values are always in tension with each other and there is a continual debate about their 'weighting' in our polity, (iii) given that we are united by nothing more than those values and that they are in tension, and there is a natural historical cycle where, from time to time, Americans are unwilling to tolerate the gap between their ideals and their institutions and (iv) during those periods of "credal passion" major disruption, 'rebasing' and change takes place (eg, the 1830s, the civil war, the progressives, the 60s). While I'm perhaps being a little alarmist, i worry a bit that our current period of credal passion is a little different in that we have shifted a bit from what the underlying mix of values is to whether there's even consensus on some of them. One can speculate over the causes of that (if my fear is true), but if it is true, that's actually a pretty scary thing for a country of our size, scope, and diversity. BTW, Huntington's 'remedy' is simple self-awareness - recognize the values, acknowledge the inherent tension and the cyclical nature of things, and embrace the healthy debate (and change) that comes with it in context (which is sort of why i come to this site). As the great historian Jaro Pelikan once said, tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Poll added. Have fun.

 

[jawatkins]

It makes alot more sense than your theology.

No offense.

No I live life by what is proveable, all of what you believe is bullshit.

 

[jawatkins]

Sorry you feel that way.

I don’t feel a way I know religion is stupid. You might as well follow Gandalf

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I think it will recede if we can get through this year.

I hope you are right but I'm not sanguine. I'd love to hear why you think so.

 

[BrianNole777]

Poll added. Have fun.

I choose the bottom choice even though I don't have kids.

Want me to not vote?

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Folks today seem to be naturally competitive and pretty angry. Popular topics of conversation revolve around sports and politics - which are generally "pick a side" topics. Politics in particular is loaded with controversial topics like abortion, immigration, health care, education, taxes, inflation, social security, Medicare, interest rates, and on and on. Everyone seems to be unhappy with the state of the country and/or the world, so the competitive/angry nature in us sparks polarization in our attitudes.

And, since the actual politicians don't seem to be able to work together to solve problems it becomes a finger pointing activity, that not only fails to accomplish anything it widens the gap between sides. People are not interested in "win/win" results, only "win/lose" results. So they dig in deeper.

So, along comes Donald Trump. Compared to most politicians, he speaks in absolutes, promises to fix things and does what non-politicians do - he finger-points and insults his opponents. So, if you agree with his proposals, he becomes the star player on your favorite team. No matter what he does, he is defended by his supporters. If you don't agree with his proposals or his approach to things, you dislike him and attack him at every opportunity. Polarization widens.

So, now we have Trump v Biden - two flawed candidates that are easy to dislike and criticize. Polarization widens even more. Now a Trump supporter and a Biden supporter are unable to agree on anything, just like R's & D's can't agree on anything. So they just bicker and attack each other.

So, as a county we are pretty much fvcked. So many things need to be fixed and no one is talking about fixing them, We just blame "the other guys".

 

[jawatkins]

It's totally real. I'm an ex-atheist.

I've had 100+ experiences of it personally.

No it’s not real.

 

[jawatkins]

Gandalf was a myth.

Jesus is real.

Have a nice weekend.

Gandalf is as real as Jesus. Have a nice weekend

 

[JRHawk2003]

I hope you are right but I'm not sanguine. I'd love to hear why you think so.

Trump passing from the scene will help.

Without a head the snake dies. Once George Wallace was done in Alabama, things calmed down some. The same people are around, but the rallying point is gone.

 

[jawatkins]

Jesus was a real historical person. Gandalf was made up by Uber Catholic J.R.R. Tolkien.

You as well. Stay warm in this weather.

Gandalf did more for the world than your fake Jesus ever did

 

[JRHawk2003]

Gandalf did more for the world than your fake Jesus ever did

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I choose the bottom choice even though I don't have kids.

Want me to not vote?

It's a hypothetical question. Totally proper to have hypothetical kids to help you envision how you would feel.

 

[DooBi]

What a load of horseshit.

 

[jawatkins]

It's a hypothetical question. Totally proper to have hypothetical kids to help you envision how you would feel.

Your mom has hypothetical kids

 

[Aardvark86]

Gandalf was a myth.

Jesus is real.

Have a nice weekend.

I gotta say, this exchange is wonderfully evocative of the opening chapter of my favorite work of literature of all time:

Under construction - Awesome site in the making!

www.weblitera.com

and we all know what happened to berlioz in chapter 3...

 

[jawatkins]

OK.

Have a good day.

He did, he killed a ballrog and kept the fellowship going. What did your Jesus do? Got some people loaded at a wedding

 

[DooBi]

I literally could not care less about any of these scenarios. My son would be my son and I would love him no matter who he chose to marry.

 

[hawkdave007]

Folks today seem to be naturally competitive and pretty angry. Popular topics of conversation revolve around sports and politics - which are generally "pick a side" topics. Politics in particular is loaded with controversial topics like abortion, immigration, health care, education, taxes, inflation, social security, Medicare, interest rates, and on and on. Everyone seems to be unhappy with the state of the country and/or the world, so the competitive/angry nature in us sparks polarization in our attitudes.

And, since the actual politicians don't seem to be able to work together to solve problems it becomes a finger pointing activity, that not only fails to accomplish anything it widens the gap between sides. People are not interested in "win/win" results, only "win/lose" results. So they dig in deeper.

So, along comes Donald Trump. Compared to most politicians, he speaks in absolutes, promises to fix things and does what non-politicians do - he finger-points and insults his opponents. So, if you agree with his proposals, he becomes the star player on your favorite team. No matter what he does, he is defended by his supporters. If you don't agree with his proposals or his approach to things, you dislike him and attack him at every opportunity. Polarization widens.

So, now we have Trump v Biden - two flawed candidates that are easy to dislike and criticize. Polarization widens even more. Now a Trump supporter and a Biden supporter are unable to agree on anything, just like R's & D's can't agree on anything. So they just bicker and attack each other.

So, as a county we are pretty much fvcked. So many things need to be fixed and no one is talking about fixing them, We just blame "the other guys".

You are right, and I would take it one step further, in that it appears that this modern form of tribalism isn't simply a group focused on it's own selfish needs, but they take pleasure in the suffering and unhappiness of the other side.

 

[jawatkins]

He saves anyone that wants to be saved.

Death, Heaven and Hell are big deals. We've only got a few more years left until we die.

Hell isn’t even real according to your book, the punishment is meant to be an actual death a nothing instead of being with god. The idea of hell is from fictionalists and so if you believe in it you don’t even know your religion

 

[beanerhawk]

If you have issues with any of those you’re a psychopath.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I tend to think social media is probably #1 contributor.

Social media certainly ratcheted up the hostility starting 20 years ago, or so. But it bumped up another order of magnitude around 9 years ago. And, no, not just because of Trump (although he certainly aided that acceleration).

So it's much more than social media.

Social media is gasoline added to the flames, not the cause of the fire.

 

[jawatkins]

Jesus spoke about Hell dozens of times.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned us to fear it.

What did Jesus say about hell? - Explore the Bible

Vance Havner told the story about a church member who didn’t like the sermons he preached about hell. “Preach about the meek and lowly Jesus,” this member told him. Havner’s reply: “That’s where I got my information about hell.” It’s true—much of what we know about hell comes from the mouth of...

explorethebible.lifeway.com

No he spoke of not being with his father, a true death

 

[Aardvark86]

Social media certainly ratcheted up the hostility starting 20 years ago, or so. But it bumped up another order of magnitude around 9 years ago. And, no, not just because of Trump (although he certainly aided that acceleration).

So it's much more than social media.

Social media is gasoline added to the flames, not the cause of the fire.

oh i agree on that, but it's an extraordinary accelerant. as i noted, it's beyond simple tribalism, and i fear it's a fraying of consensus around very core values.

 

[JRHawk2003]

I tend to think social media is probably #1 contributor. After all, except for a five year interlude of unpleasantness, we made it about 220 years without otherwise truly being at each other's throats. At a certain level, I suppose 'peace and prosperity' is a contributing factor - consistent with the thesis of the social science above -- inasmuch as we've often had a third external 'tribe' to unite against in our history as an alternastive to being at each other's throats.

A really interesting take on this issue as a political history matter is SP Huntington's great book American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony. While the book is a little dated in its cold war mindset in spots, his basic thesis is that (i) americans are defined by nothing more than a set of shared values (eg, liberty, equality, limited government, opportunity society), (ii) those values are always in tension with each other and there is a continual debate about their 'weighting' in our polity, (iii) given that we are united by nothing more than those values and that they are in tension, and there is a natural historical cycle where, from time to time, Americans are unwilling to tolerate the gap between their ideals and their institutions and (iv) during those periods of "credal passion" major disruption, 'rebasing' and change takes place (eg, the 1830s, the civil war, the progressives, the 60s). While I'm perhaps being a little alarmist, i worry a bit that our current period of credal passion is a little different in that we have shifted a bit from what the underlying mix of values is to whether there's even consensus on some of them. One can speculate over the causes of that (if my fear is true), but if it is true, that's actually a pretty scary thing for a country of our size, scope, and diversity. BTW, Huntington's 'remedy' is simple self-awareness - recognize the values, acknowledge the inherent tension and the cyclical nature of things, and embrace the healthy debate that comes with it in context (which is sort of why i come to this site).

Good God. This board is not that high minded.

I am not the only cynic. This is just a place to blow off steam and get tips for various mundane things like exercise or shoes.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Judging from the early poll results, I'm either the only one here who isn't a saint, or the only one here who is honest.

The question wasn't how you should feel in those situations but how you actually would feel.

 

[jawatkins]

Not here.

Matt. 25: 46:

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Yeah punishment is a true death

 

[BrianNole777]

Yeah punishment is a true death

Regardless, it's not pleasant.

I hope to be saved.