Thursday, April 08, 2004
The Polarization of America
Bill Bishop writes in today's AA-S that Americans have become increasingly separated by their political views in recent years.
By the time George W. Bush narrowly defeated Al Gore in 2000, the nation's counties had grown more politically segregated than at any time since the end of World War II.
Meanwhile, those majorities are growing. Nearly seven out of every 10 voters live in counties where presidential elections are becoming less competitive, according to a study of U.S. election data by the Austin American-Statesman's statistical consultant, Robert Cushing.
Does it matter that American voters are increasingly living in ideologically homogenous communities? The American-Statesman queried more than a dozen political scientists, social psychologists and political pollsters, and they all said, yes, it matters a lot.
It seems faily simplistic, but at the same time it's interesting. I agree that peoples' views tend to grow more extreme when they're mainly exposed to like-minded individuals. But does that say more about personal convictions, or about a weak willed desire to not "rock the boat"?
Maybe a little of both? I'm no psychologist, but I like to think that I approach ideas with an open mind, though I do admit that I'm predisposed to think the conservative view is the initial best response.
I would like to see more of these kinds of articles. If society is indeed growing more ideological, just for the sake of toeing the party line, or of evening out the other side's ideology, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate why we think what we think.
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By the time George W. Bush narrowly defeated Al Gore in 2000, the nation's counties had grown more politically segregated than at any time since the end of World War II.
Meanwhile, those majorities are growing. Nearly seven out of every 10 voters live in counties where presidential elections are becoming less competitive, according to a study of U.S. election data by the Austin American-Statesman's statistical consultant, Robert Cushing.
Does it matter that American voters are increasingly living in ideologically homogenous communities? The American-Statesman queried more than a dozen political scientists, social psychologists and political pollsters, and they all said, yes, it matters a lot.
It seems faily simplistic, but at the same time it's interesting. I agree that peoples' views tend to grow more extreme when they're mainly exposed to like-minded individuals. But does that say more about personal convictions, or about a weak willed desire to not "rock the boat"?
Maybe a little of both? I'm no psychologist, but I like to think that I approach ideas with an open mind, though I do admit that I'm predisposed to think the conservative view is the initial best response.
I would like to see more of these kinds of articles. If society is indeed growing more ideological, just for the sake of toeing the party line, or of evening out the other side's ideology, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate why we think what we think.
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