{"id":389969,"date":"2022-01-05T19:52:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T16:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/"},"modified":"2022-01-05T19:52:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T16:52:00","slug":"the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Conversation: America\u2019s political polarization can\u2019t be solved, only managed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a374c8a46a49\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a374c8a46a49\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/#Once_people_are_polarized_exposure_even_to_civil_expressions_of_the_other_sides_viewpoint_creates_more_polarization\" >Once people are polarized, exposure even to civil expressions of the other side\u2019s viewpoint creates more polarization<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/#Two_kinds_of_polarization\" >Two kinds of polarization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/#The_polarization_loop\" >The polarization loop<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-americas-political-polarization-cant-be-solved-only-managed\/#Robert_B_Talisse\" >Robert B. Talisse<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The Conversation: America\u2019s political polarization can\u2019t be solved, only managed<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Once_people_are_polarized_exposure_even_to_civil_expressions_of_the_other_sides_viewpoint_creates_more_polarization\"><\/span>\n  Once people are polarized, exposure even to civil expressions of the other side\u2019s viewpoint creates more polarization<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"article body\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000536830\" role=\"document\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000536830\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       For the first time, the United States has been classified as a \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2021\/11\/22\/united-states-backsliding-democracies-list-first-time\/\" class=\"icon none\">backsliding democracy<\/a>\u201d in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.idea.int\/gsod\/global-report#chapter-2-democracy-health-check:-an-overview-of-global-tre\" class=\"icon none\">global assessment of democratic societies<\/a>\u00a0by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental research group.<\/p>\n<p> One key reason the report cites is the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/now\/republicans-resist-saying-3-simple-052438273.html\" class=\"icon none\">continuing popularity<\/a>\u00a0among Republicans of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/exhaustive-fact-check-finds-little-evidence-of-voter-fraud-but-2020s-big-lie-lives-on\" class=\"icon none\">false allegations<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f\" class=\"icon none\">widespread<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/12\/17\/opinion\/election-vote-fraud-data.html\" class=\"icon none\">voter fraud<\/a>\u00a0in the 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       But according to the organization\u2019s secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, perhaps the \u201cmost concerning\u201d aspect of American democracy is \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2021\/nov\/22\/us-list-backsliding-democracies-civil-liberties-international\" class=\"icon none\">runaway polarization<\/a>.\u201d One year after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Americans\u2019 perceptions about even the well-documented events of that day are\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2021\/09\/28\/declining-share-of-republicans-say-it-is-important-to-prosecute-jan-6-rioters\/\" class=\"icon none\">divided along partisan lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Polarization\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/12\/15\/opinion\/republicans-democracy-minority-rule.html\" class=\"icon none\">looms<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dividedwefall.com\/the-seeds-of-dysfunction-why-this-polarization-is-not-like-the-others\/\" class=\"icon none\">large<\/a>\u00a0in many\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/opinion\/articles\/2021-12-17\/u-s-democracy-faces-real-threats\" class=\"icon none\">diagnoses<\/a>\u00a0of America\u2019s current\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.usc.edu\/194874\/why-is-america-divided\/\" class=\"icon none\">political struggles<\/a>. Some\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2021\/12\/08\/us-political-polarization-tipping-point\/\" class=\"icon none\">researchers<\/a>\u00a0warn of an <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaching \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2021\/12\/tipping-point-makes-partisan-polarization-irreversible\" class=\"icon none\">tipping point<\/a>\u201d of irreversible polarization.\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/heterodoxacademy.org\/library\/political-polarization-resource-list\/\" class=\"icon none\">Suggested<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2021\/12\/18\/polarization-america-how-fight-forces-dividing-our-nation\/6460116001\/?gnt-cfr=1\" class=\"icon none\">remedies<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/democracyjournal.org\/magazine\/62-special-issue\/can-americas-political-polarization-be-fixed\/\" class=\"icon none\">are<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/charleskochfoundation.org\/stories\/principled-dissent-will-reduce-polarization\/\" class=\"icon none\">available<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/10\/30\/opinions\/fractured-states-of-america-polarization-is-killing-us-avlon\/index.html\" class=\"icon none\">from<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealth.columbia.edu\/public-health-now\/news\/political-polarization-often-not-bad-we-think\" class=\"icon none\">across<\/a>\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2021\/11\/30\/why-american-politics-is-so-stuck-and-what-new-research-shows-about-how-to-fix-it-523517\" class=\"icon none\">the<\/a>\u00a0partisan spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>There are\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/3quarksdaily.com\/3quarksdaily\/2018\/12\/our-polarization-problem.html\" class=\"icon none\">two types of polarization<\/a>. One isn\u2019t inherently dangerous; the other can be. And together, they can be extremely destructive of democratic societies.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Two_kinds_of_polarization\"><\/span>Two kinds of polarization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Political polarization is the ideological distance between opposed parties. If the differences are large, it can produce logjams, standoffs and inflexibility in Congress and state and local governments. Though it can be frustrating, political polarization is\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bpr.berkeley.edu\/2019\/04\/13\/the-positives-of-political-polarization\/\" class=\"icon none\">not necessarily dysfunctional<\/a>. It even can be\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/opinion\/articles\/2010\/05\/27\/why-political-polarization-might-be-good-for-america\" class=\"icon none\">beneficial<\/a>, offering true choices for voters and policymakers alike. Deep-seated disagreement can be healthy for democracy, after all. The clash of opinions can help us find the truth. The clamor of ideological differences among political parties provides citizens with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/press.uchicago.edu\/ucp\/books\/book\/chicago\/R\/bo3636475.html\" class=\"icon none\">shortcuts<\/a>\u00a0for making political choices.<\/p>\n<p>Belief polarization, also called\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0033-2909.83.4.602\" class=\"icon none\">group polarization<\/a>, is different. Interaction with like-minded others transforms people into more\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/quillette.com\/2019\/05\/17\/conformity-and-the-dangers-of-group-polarization\/\" class=\"icon none\">extreme versions of themselves<\/a>. These more extreme selves are also overly confident and therefore more prepared to engage in\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/0022-1031(67)90038-8\" class=\"icon none\">risky behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Belief polarization also leads people to embrace more intensely\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/political-polarization-is-about-feelings-not-facts-120397\" class=\"icon none\">negative feelings<\/a>\u00a0toward people with different views. As they shift toward extremism, they come to\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ajps.12152\" class=\"icon none\">define themselves and others<\/a>\u00a0primarily in terms of partisanship. Eventually, politics expands beyond policy ideas and into\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/partisan-divide-creates-different-americas-separate-lives-122925\" class=\"icon none\">entire lifestyles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s not all. As I explain in my new book, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/sustaining-democracy-9780197556450?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;\" class=\"icon none\">Sustaining Democracy<\/a>,\u201d as society sorts into \u201cliberal\u201d and \u201cconservative\u201d\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/pops.12485\" class=\"icon none\">lifestyles<\/a>, people grow more invested in\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.2044-8309.1992.tb00952.x\" class=\"icon none\">policing the borders<\/a>\u00a0between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem.\u201d And as people\u2019s alliances focus on hostility toward those who disagree, they become more\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-todays-gop-demonstrates-about-the-dangers-of-partisan-conformity-161401\" class=\"icon none\">conformist<\/a>\u00a0and intolerant of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/heterodoxacademy.org\/blog\/the-need-for-socially-distanced-citizens\/\" class=\"icon none\">differences among allies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>People grow less able to\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2021-05-politically-polarized-brains-intolerance-uncertainty.html\" class=\"icon none\">navigate disagreement<\/a>, eventually developing into citizens who believe that democracy is possible only when\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/how-identity-not-issues-explains-the-partisan-divide\/\" class=\"icon none\">everyone agrees with them<\/a>. That is a profoundly antidemocratic stance.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_polarization_loop\"><\/span>The polarization loop<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Belief polarization is toxic for citizens\u2019 relations with one another. But the large-scale political dysfunction lies in how political and belief polarization work together in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.discoursemagazine.com\/ideas\/2021\/01\/26\/the-polarization-dynamic\/\" class=\"icon none\">mutually reinforcing loop<\/a>. When the citizenry is divided into two clans that are fixated on animus against the other, politicians have incentives to amplify hostility toward their partisan opponents.<\/p>\n<p>And because the citizenry is\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/how-identity-not-issues-explains-the-partisan-divide\/\" class=\"icon none\">divided over lifestyle choices rather than policy ideas<\/a>, officeholders are released from the usual electoral pressure to advance a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/mcconnell-no-agenda-midterms-91c73112-0a2e-441b-b713-7e8aa2dad6bf.html\" class=\"icon none\">legislative platform<\/a>. They can gain reelection simply based on their antagonism.<\/p>\n<p>As politicians escalate their rifts, citizens are cued to entrench partisan segregation. This produces additional belief polarization, which in turn rewards political intransigence. All the while, constructive political processes get submerged in the merely symbolic and tribal, while people\u2019s capacities for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thefulcrum.us\/civic-ed\/moral-citizenship\" class=\"icon none\">responsible democratic citizenship<\/a>\u00a0erode.Managing polarization<\/p>\n<p>Remedies for polarization tend to focus on how it poisons citizens\u2019 relations. Surely President Joe Biden was correct to stress in his\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2021\/01\/20\/inaugural-address-by-president-joseph-r-biden-jr\/\" class=\"icon none\">inaugural address<\/a>\u00a0that Americans need to \u201clower the temperature\u201d and to \u201csee each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, democracy presupposes political disagreement. As James Madison observed, the U.S. needs democracy precisely because self-governing citizens\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/guides.loc.gov\/federalist-papers\/text-1-10#s-lg-box-wrapper-25493273\" class=\"icon none\">inevitably will disagree about politics<\/a>. The response to polarization cannot involve calls for unanimity or abandoning partisan rivalries. A democracy without political divides is no democracy at all.<\/p>\n<p>The task is to render people\u2019s political differences more civil, to reestablish the ability to respectfully disagree. But this cannot be accomplished simply by conducting political discussions differently. Research indicates that once people are polarized, exposure even to civil expressions of the other side\u2019s viewpoint\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1804840115\" class=\"icon none\">creates more polarization<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetPullQuote\n            inline\n    scope-web|mobileapps\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetPullQuote\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wsj-article-pullquote article__inset__pullquote \">\n<p class=\"pullquote-content article__inset__pullquote__quote\">\n        <span class=\"l-qt article__inset__pullquote__mark--left\">\u201c<\/span>The response to polarization cannot involve calls for unanimity or abandoning partisan rivalries.<span class=\"r-qt article__inset__pullquote__mark--right\">\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       This is a case of the crucial difference between prevention and cure. It\u2019s not enough to pretend polarization hasn\u2019t happened, or to behave as if it\u2019s a minor concern. In the current situation, even sincere attempts to respectfully engage with the other side\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2102139118\" class=\"icon none\">often backfire<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> Yet Americans remain democratic citizens, partners in the shared project of self-government who cannot simply ignore one another.<\/p>\n<p>Polarization is a problem that\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/3quarksdaily.com\/3quarksdaily\/2020\/04\/democracy-cant-be-fixed.html\" class=\"icon none\">cannot be solved, but only managed<\/a>. It does make relations toxic among political opponents, but it also hurts relations among allies. It escalates conformity within coalitions, shrinking people\u2019s concepts of what levels of disagreement are tolerable in like-minded groups.<\/p>\n<p>It may be, then, that managing polarization could involve working to counteract conformity by engaging in respectful disagreements with people we see as allies. By taking steps to remember that politics always involves disputation, even among those who vote for the same candidates and affiliate with the same party, Americans may begin to rediscover the ability to respectfully disagree with opponents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Next:<\/strong> Biden, Harris to speak on anniversary of January 6 attack on U.S. Capitol<\/p>\n<p><em>Robert B. Talisse is the W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. This was first published by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\" class=\"icon none\">The Conversation<\/a> \u2014 \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/not-all-polarization-is-bad-but-the-us-could-be-in-trouble-173833\" class=\"icon none\">Not all polarization is bad, but the US could be in\u00a0trouble<\/a>\u201c.<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetDynamic\n            inline\n    scope-web|mobileapps\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetDynamic\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dynamic-inset-container article__inset__dynamic\">\n<style>\n    .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n    }\n    .at16units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body.at12units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body .inline .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body .offset .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body .header .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at8units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body.at4units .inline .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at4units .offset .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at4units .header .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n<\/style>\n<p><iframe class=\"wsj-interactive generic-iframe-embed\" name=\"counter\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.edu.au\/content\/173833\/count.gif\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"wsj-article-caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>    <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Robert B. Talisse\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Robert_B_Talisse\"><\/span>Robert B. Talisse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-7830-FE9382DB3888%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The Conversation: America\u2019s political polarization can\u2019t be solved, only managed&#8221; Once people are polarized, exposure even to civil expressions of the other side\u2019s viewpoint creates more polarization For the first time, the United States has been classified as a \u201cbacksliding democracy\u201d in a\u00a0global assessment of democratic societies\u00a0by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":389971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-460955\/social","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-389969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}