Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know®

A more polarized legislature advantages defenders of the status quo and can lead to a deteriorating quality of governance that may in turn undermine faith in the constitution.

“More generally, a more polarized legislature (i.e., one consisting of extremists on all sides) “advantages defenders of the status quo… and can lead to a deteriorating quality of governance [that] may in turn undermine faith in our constitution” (McCarty, 2019, pp.154-155).”

Issue or ideological polarization is typically operationalized as approaching or arriving at a bimodal distribution of beliefs, opinions and values.

“This type of polarization is typically operationalized as approaching or arriving at a bimodal distribution of beliefs, opinions and values50,72.”

Sometimes multiple lines of potential disagreement in society become highly overlapping, aligned or consolidated, reducing multiple potential cleavages to a single dimension that dominates political relations.

“Sometimes multiple lines of potential disagreement in society become highly overlapping, aligned or consolidated. In these cases, multiple potential cleavages might be reduced to a single dimension that comes to dominate political relations8,72,77,78.”

Historically speaking, polarization in the USA reflects social patterns that began with Southern realignment following civil rights legislation, the rise of single-issue interest groups, changes in campaign finance law, and the withdrawal of moderates from party politics and primary races, especially on the political right.

“Historically speaking, polarization in the USA reflects social patterns that began with Southern realignment following civil rights legislation, the rise of single-issue interest groups, changes in campaign finance law, and the withdrawal of moderates from party politics and primary races, especially on the political right10,27,31,34,37,72,342,343).”