Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Some sources say polarization is at its worst since the Civil War or at historic highs, while others say past periods were significantly worse and today's levels are not an anomaly.
The answer depends on what kind of polarization you're measuring and what time frame you compare against—but by several key metrics, especially in the U.S. context, current polarization does appear historically severe, though not unprecedented if you look back far enough.
Congressional/Elite Polarization: Near Historic Highs
Using DW-NOMINATE scores (which track how members of Congress vote), a period of a much more balanced Congress during the middle of the 20th century saw ideological distance between the parties begin to grow during the 1970s, to the extent that Congress is now more polarized than at any time since the late 1870s Reconstruction Era. Notably, whereas there used to be many Republicans who were less conservative than the most conservative Democrat, and vice versa, there is no overlap today—the most liberal Republican is still more conservative than the most conservative Democrat.
However, some political scientists caution against over-interpreting this: viewed within the context of data from the last two centuries, today's levels of polarization are not such an alarming anomaly compared to those occurring during the time of slavery and similar points along the historical continuum.
Public/Voter Polarization: Also Elevated
Pew Research's landmark analysis found Republicans and Democrats more divided along ideological lines, with partisan antipathy deeper and more extensive than at any point in recent history. This isn't just about policy disagreement—a major element has been the growing contempt many Republicans and Democrats have for the opposing party; while disliking the other party is nothing new, today these sentiments are broader and deeper than in the recent past.
Affective Polarization: A Newer, Growing Phenomenon
Researchers distinguish between disagreeing on policy (ideological polarization) and simply disliking the other side (affective polarization). Evidence suggests animosity between political opponents has grown disproportionately relative to actual policy differences since the late 2000s. One recent analysis notes that affective polarization has roughly doubled since 1994, with 63% of Americans now seeing the opposing party as a "threat to democracy."
Important Caveats
A few nuances complicate the "worse than ever" narrative:
Bottom Line
If you're asking about the last 50-70 years (the era of modern polling and legislative data), the answer is largely yes—polarization is worse now by most measures, particularly affective/emotional polarization and legislative gridlock. If you're asking about all of American history, the answer is more mixed—the Civil War era and other periods of severe division (including actual political violence) arguably represent more extreme polarization than today.
Citations (12)
- Political polarization at its worst since the Civil War - USC Today
Source excerpt: “Following a period of a much more balanced Congress during the middle of the 20th century, ideological distance between the parties began to grow duri...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Congress is more polarized than any time since Reconstruction, with ideological distance growing since the 1970s after a balanced mid-century Congress.
- Political Polarization in America: A Historical Analysis | Divided We Fall
Source excerpt: “Whereas there used to be many Republicans who were less conservative than the most conservative Democrat, and vice versa, there is no overlap today. T...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: No overlap exists today between parties; the most liberal Republican is more conservative than the most conservative Democrat.
- Political polarization at its worst since the Civil War - USC Today
Source excerpt: “Some political scientists have pointed out that viewed within the context of data from the last two centuries todays levels of polarization are n...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Some political scientists say today's polarization is not an alarming anomaly within two centuries of data.
- Political Polarization in the American Public | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent ...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Republicans and Democrats are more divided ideologically, with partisan antipathy deeper and more extensive than at any point in recent history.
- Political Polarization in the American Public | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “Beyond the rise in ideological consistency, another major element in polarization has been the growing contempt that many Republicans and Democrats ha...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Growing contempt for the opposing party is a major element of polarization, broader and deeper than in the recent past.
- Towards global equity in political polarization research
Source excerpt: “In contrast, since the late 2000s, evidence from the U.S. that animosity between political opponents has grown disproportionately relative to policy d...”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: Since the late 2000s, animosity between political opponents has grown disproportionately relative to policy differences in the U.S.
- Political Polarization in 2026: How Divided Is America, Really?
Source excerpt: “80-point partisan gap in Trump approval (90% R / 8-10% D) — highest recorded in modern polling era; compares to 70pt for Obama, 60pt for Clinton · 63%...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Affective polarization has roughly doubled since 1994, with 63% seeing the opposing party as a threat to democracy.
- Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity
Source excerpt: “In fact, Lee adds, while some measurements suggest more division, what they actually show is simply that the voting behavior of politicians has become...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Some measurements show voting behavior of politicians has become more predictable, not that politicians are farther apart on policy.
- Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity
Source excerpt: “What is often missed, Lee explains, are changes in the scope of policy issues over time. For example, even though measurements show increasing party d...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Changes in the scope of policy issues complicate comparisons, such as today's narrower votes versus 1960s civil rights legislation.
- Indivisible Issues: What Our Past Can Tell Us About Polarization Now — Columbia Political Review
Source excerpt: “But first, we must recognize that the United States has had multiple periods of division before—in some cases, significantly worse than what we have r...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: The U.S. has had multiple periods of division before, in some cases significantly worse than now.
- Indivisible Issues: What Our Past Can Tell Us About Polarization Now — Columbia Political Review
Source excerpt: “The Brooks-Sumner Affair, in which abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner was beaten nearly to death by one of his colleagues, remains one of the most vi...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: The Brooks-Sumner Affair, in which Sumner was beaten nearly to death, shows political violence not seen in recent decades.
- Towards global equity in political polarization research
Source excerpt: “Amongst political elites, comparative data from 21 high-income countries reveals a small but significant increase in elite ideological polarization, w...”
evidence, official document, neutral. Claim: Across 21 high-income countries, elite ideological polarization shows only a small but significant increase, varying widely by country.