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GPT-5Nov 1, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Short answer: In the United States, yes—by several key measures polarization today is as high as it’s been in the modern era, though “worst ever” depends on what you’re measuring.
What’s clearly higher now
•Among elected officials (Congress): Party-line voting and ideological distance are at or near their highest levels since the late 1800s. The mid‑20th‑century overlap between liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats has basically disappeared.
•Among the public’s feelings: “Affective polarization” (dislike and distrust of the other party) has risen steadily since the late 1970s and is at record highs in survey data. Split‑ticket voting and cross‑party friendships have declined, and communities and media habits are more sorted by party.
•Geography and elections: The urban–rural divide has widened; more counties are “landslide” for one party; ticket‑splitting is rarer, which nationalizes politics and reduces incentives to moderate.
What’s more nuanced
•Policy views among the public: Americans are somewhat more sorted by party than truly more extreme. Many people still hold a mix of liberal and conservative positions, but those mixes align much more cleanly with party than they did in, say, the 1970s.
•Historical comparisons: The U.S. has had eras with greater open conflict (e.g., the 1850s–60s, parts of the 1890s, and episodes of the 1960s–70s). So while today’s elite and affective polarization are exceptionally high by modern survey and roll‑call records, it’s not the most violent or institutionally unstable period in U.S. history.
Why it’s risen (leading explanations)
•Party “sorting” after the Civil Rights era realignment
•Nationalized media and social media that amplify partisan identity and negative partisanship
•Changes in political incentives (primaries, safe districts, donor pressures); gerrymandering contributes to safer seats but is not viewed as the main national driver
•Social identities (race, religion, education, culture, place) aligning more tightly with party, creating “mega‑identities”
If you tell me whether you’re most interested in elites or the general public—and whether you mean the U.S. specifically or internationally—I can tailor the answer and share specific data points and sources.