Normal, even inevitable democratic patterns: It was arguably the relative absence of polarization in the 1950s that was actually unusual, an artifact of various distinctive circumstances and temporary trends,Īnd over the long haul the pull of tribalism and the politics of fear are natural features of any system that depends on mass mobilization.

To some extent, negative polarization is less a radically new thing than a return to How dangerous is this kind of fear and loathing for the republic? It’s difficult to say. Inįact, maybe we’re those people ourselves … We all know people who come to politics with some variation on this attitude: I don’t much like the Republicans/Democrats, but I know the other side is flat-out evil. Regard the other side with incomprehension and loathing.”Īmong other things, this trend helps explain how partisan polarization can be increasing even as more and more voters identify themselves as “independent.” The reality is that many of those alleged-indiesĪre still partisans: They’re just motivated primarily by fear and loathing of the Other (GOP or Democrat) now, even as their relationship to their own party partakes of the broader trend toward disillusionmentĪnd disaffiliation that’s defined American life for decades. The party system has split along racial, cultural, and religious lines, creating a kind of tribal system where each party’s supports Other party much more.” Or to quote Chait: Today’s “voters form strong loyalties based more on loathing for the opposing party than on the old kind of tribal loyalty (‘My daddy was aĭemocrat, his daddy was a Democrat …’) that used to prevail. As Balz puts it, “people don’t like their own party any more or less than they used to, but they dislike the “negative polarization,” to describe what they’re seeing in the data. But the paper’s authors (Alan Abramowitz and Steven Webster) deploy a very useful term, Will not necessarily surprise anyone following our politics: The parties’ supporters are more ideologically distinct than in the past, split-ticket voting is disappearing, the electoral college map favorsĭemocrats in presidential elections but population density creates a district map that favors House Republicans, etc. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop (Gary Busey), he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chait and the Washington Post’s Dan Balz both have interesting pieces up this week discussing new research on polarization in America, though the basic findings they cite As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions.

Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr.

Fear and loathing in america