Despite what we hear in the media, Americans have not become more polarized―they’re just better sorted into the political parties. Continuing the research reported in the widely-read Culture War?, Morris Fiorina shows in this new book that what has occurred in the United States is the sorting of partisan sub-groups within the larger electorate--especially among partisan office holders, party activists and campaign donors. Although party wars seem to prevail on every front every day, since political candidates are now more liberal (if Democratic) and more conservative (if Republican) than the country as a whole, perceptions can be deceiving. Voters confronted with more extreme candidates can only choose the least disagreeable. By no means has the political center vanished―it is simply homeless in today’s party system. The American public―even partisans--often shows more agreement on issues like gay marriage, abortion, and gun control than do the warring parties on the Hill or in the White House, suggesting that our country could make progress on the issues we face if only we could break the stranglehold two sorted parties hold on the political process.

Product Description: From campus protests to the Congress floor, the central feature of contemporary American politics is ideological polarization. In this concise, readable, but comprehensive text, Steven E. Schier and Todd E. Eberly introduce students to this contentious subject through an in-depth look at the ideological foundations of the contemporary American political machine of parties, politicians, the media, and the public...read more

Product Description: American Gridlock brings together the country's preeminent experts on the causes, characteristics, and consequences of partisan polarization in US politics and government, with each chapter presenting original scholarship and novel data...read more

Polarization is at an all-time high in the United States. But contrary to popular belief, Americans are polarized not so much in their policy preferences as in their feelings toward their political opponents: To an unprecedented degree, Republicans and Democrats simply do not like one another. No surprise that these deeply held negative feelings are central to the recent (also unprecedented) plunge in congressional productivity. The past three Congresses have gotten less done than any since scholars began measuring congressional productivity.             In Why Washington Won’t Work, Marc J. Hetherington and Thomas J. Rudolph argue that a contemporary crisis of trust—people whose party is out of power have almost no trust in a government run by the other side—has deadlocked Congress. On most issues, party leaders can convince their own party to support their positions. In order to pass legislation, however, they must also create consensus by persuading some portion of the opposing party to trust in their vision for the future. Without trust, consensus fails to develop and compromise does not occur. Up until recently, such trust could still usually be found among the opposition, but not anymore. Political trust, the authors show, is far from a stable characteristic. It’s actually highly variable and contingent on a variety of factors, including whether one’s party is in control, which part of the government one is dealing with, and which policies or events are most salient at the moment. Political trust increases, for example, when the public is concerned with foreign policy—as in times of war—and it decreases in periods of weak economic performance. Hetherington and Rudolph do offer some suggestions about steps politicians and the public might take to increase political trust. Ultimately, however, they conclude that it is unlikely levels of political trust will significantly increase unless foreign concerns come to dominate and the economy is consistently strong.

Product Description: Robert Smith and Richard Seltzer offer fresh insights on the decisive, and often surprising, role of presidents and presidential candidates in polarizing US politics. In a rich, multidimensional narrative, the authors show how presidential rhetoric and policies have served to divide voters along lines of class, party, race, and region...read more

Product Description: What are the consequences of political polarization in the United States? Are citizens' interests adequately represented when divisive politics are the norm? What ideologies―and entrenched institutions―perpetuate these divisions, and what social groups are most affected? Answering these questions, Polarized Politics is a major contribution to our understanding of the causes, evolution, and impact of the politics of divisiveness in the US...read more

Product Description: America's political system is dysfunctional. While this is a widely held view, it is a problem that—so far—has proved intractable. After every election, voters discover yet again that political "leaders" are simply quarreling in a never-ending battle between the two warring tribes, the Republicans and Democrats...read more

Product Description: Politicians and pundits often scorn polarization and compromise—the intransigence of the former and the feebleness of the latter—without suggesting an alternative way. Polarization, when opposing forces are equal or close to equal in strength, leads to stalemate...read more