Political Polarization

Every week, political pundits publish books promoting one side (the pundit’s) as good, and the other side as evil. Whether the pundit promotes a liberal or conservative view, the book convinces zealots, and annoys everyone else. For the rest of us, we see and feel the problem. Psychologists teach us why and how the problem exists. Politicians leverage the problem to gain personal political advantage.

America is broken. America is divided. 80% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. And everything you need to know about the Divided States of America can be explained by two relentless forces: hyper-individualism and hyper-capitalism. American Restraint explores how both hyper-individualism and hyper-capitalism are what is fundamentally ripping our country apart. Traditional solutions and status quo politicians can’t help us.

Increasingly, political parties have adopted not only different policies, but different sets of facts. As E. J. Fagan argues, partisan think tanks have helped create these alternate realities in their capacity as de facto formal party organizations. Through the analyses generated by aligned think tanks, political elites on both the left and right frequently offer radically different assessments of a policy's consequences.

American politics today can be defined by the intense and increasingly toxic divide between Democrats and Republicans. Matthew D. Luttig explores why so many Americans have endorsed this level of political conflict.

At a time of political tribalism and ideological purity tests, it can be hard to remember that cross-party hatred isn't an inherent feature of partisan politics. But, as this book reminds us, a backward glance - or a quick survey of so many retiring members of Congress - tells us that even in the past decade partisan rancor has grown exponentially. In Angry Politics, Stacy G. Ulbig asks why. Even more to the point, she traces the trend to the place where it all might begin - the college campus, among the youngest segment of the electorate.

Not only do individuals have core beliefs about what the government should or should not do, but individuals have become more likely to support the party that best matches their policy attitudes by both identifying as a member of that party and voting for that party in elections. However, as Zingher demonstrates, voters' ability to match their attitudes to a party or candidate varies according to signals sent by elites and increases as parties become more polarized.

Fragmented America: Navigating the New Normal by John E. Miller In a time when America seems more divided than ever, Fragmented America: Navigating the New Normal offers a beacon of hope and a path forward. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor, author, filmmaker, and community leader, John E. Miller provides a compelling blend of scriptural wisdom and practical guidance to address the pressing issues of our day. This insightful book delves into the heart of America’s challenges, from political polarization and social fragmentation to technological upheaval and economic ...

More than three-quarters of Americans today, from all across the political spectrum, fear for their democracy. While most popular attention centers on America’s political institutions–presidents, legislatures, courts, political parties, & elections–historian, entrepreneur, and political philosopher Raphael Chayim Rosen argues this approach is upside down. The foundational strength of American democracy does not lie within institutions beyond the reach of ordinary Americans, but rather inside the quotidian thoughts, words, and deeds of citizens themselves. Merging insights across ...

Extreme polarization in American politics is perhaps the most confounding political phenomenon of our time. This book binds together polarization in Congress and polarization in the electorate within an ever-expanding feedback loop. This loop is powered by the discipline exerted by the respective political parties on their Congressional members and district candidates and endorsed by the voters in each Congressional district who must choose between the alternatives offered.

Durrett has written a potent and excoriating view of the current state of American politics. He provides analysis of why both the conservatives and liberals are impotent and feckless to solve our problems. And why they will only make our problems worse. While his descriptions of both parties and agendas are well known, what he provides is an interesting take on why they will both fail. Neither side will want to read this book and see their weaknesses exposed. But for those who are interested in understanding why America is on a collision course of transformation, it is quite a read. The ...

A chronicle of our times based on real events, In God We Trust is a story of political intrigue, religious conspiracies, and the corruption of money. It’s the story of Dante Jefferson Washington, a brash, young, black, religious conservative and Deputy Chief of Staff to South Carolina Senator Winston J. Sinclair. Dante’s ambitions for public service soon become entangled in the unholy alliance of money, politics, and religion that define our national political dysfunction. His journey echoes that of his Italian namesake in The Divine Comedy. A social and political contradiction because ...