Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Short answer: Yes, by most measures — but with important nuance
By nearly every metric political scientists track, the U.S. is more polarized today than at any point in the last 50+ years, though the picture is more complicated than headlines suggest.
The evidence for "worse than ever"
In Congress: On average, Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years. The moderate middle has nearly vanished — there are now only about two dozen moderate Democrats and Republicans left on Capitol Hill, versus more than 160 in 1971-72. The ideological overlap between parties that used to exist is now gone entirely: since 2002, when a moderate Republican was defeated and another retired, there's been no overlap at all between the least liberal Democrats and the least conservative Republicans in the House, and in the Senate the end of overlap came in 2004.
Among voters (affective polarization): This may be the starkest shift. Partisan dislike has intensified dramatically — in 1994, a majority of Republicans had unfavorable impressions of Democrats but just 17% had very unfavorable opinions, similarly for Democrats; since then, highly negative views have more than doubled. More recently, in 2022, 72% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats viewed the opposing party as more immoral than other Americans — up dramatically from 47% and 35% in 2016.
Compared to other countries: The U.S. stands out globally. The US has experienced the most rapid growth in affective polarization among the general electorate since 1980 among 12 OECD countries studied, with five other countries seeing smaller increases and six experiencing declines.
Historical framing people use: Americans increasingly see the country as more divided than at any time since the Civil War — though this is a subjective perception, not an objective measure.
The important caveats
Bottom line
If you're asking about elite/congressional polarization and partisan animosity (how much people dislike the other side), the answer is clearly yes — it's at historic highs for the post-WWII era. If you're asking whether ordinary Americans' actual policy views are as far apart as the rhetoric suggests, the answer is more "no" — there's substantial overlap and agreement that gets obscured by a loud, engaged minority and media/political incentives to exaggerate differences.
Citations (16)
- The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “On average, Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years.”
- The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “Indeed, a Pew Research Center analysis finds that, on average, Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the...”
- The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “There are now only about two dozen moderate Democrats and Republicans left on Capitol Hill, versus more than 160 in 1971-72. ”
- The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “Since 2002, when Republican Rep. Constance Morella of Maryland was defeated for reelection and GOP Rep. Benjamin Gilman of New York retired, there’s b...”
- Political Polarization in the American Public | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “In 1994, hardly a time of amicable partisan relations, a majority of Republicans had unfavorable impressions of the Democratic Party, but just 17% had...”
- The 'Great Divide': Understanding US Political Polarization | Syracuse University Today
Source excerpt: “Pew Research Center polling reveals a sharp rise in partisan hostility: in 2022, 72% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats viewed the opposing party as ...”
- Why are we so politically polarized? Here’s what research says | Knowable Magazine
Source excerpt: “The US has experienced the most rapid growth in affective polarization among the general electorate since 1980 among the 12 OECD countries considered ...”
- The 'Great Divide': Understanding US Political Polarization | Syracuse University Today
Source excerpt: “Diane Stirling Oct. 23, 2025 ... Americans increasingly see the country as more divided than at any time since the Civil War. ”
- Political polarization is real, but not as bad as you think : NPR
Source excerpt: “"Our perceived polarization far outstrips the actual polarization," Laurin said. ”
- Political polarization is real, but not as bad as you think : NPR
Source excerpt: “"Once you look beneath Republican and Democratic labels you see a lot of variation within the parties and a lot of overlap," said Jocelyn Kiley, who l...”
- Why are we so politically polarized? Here’s what research says | Knowable Magazine
Source excerpt: “However, that doesn’t mean politicians are farther apart on policy issues than in the past, says Frances Lee, a political scientist now at Princeton U...”
- Why are we so politically polarized? Here’s what research says | Knowable Magazine
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...”
- Political polarization in the United States - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “Scholars distinguish between ideological polarization (differences between the policy positions) and affective polarization (a dislike and distrust of...”
- Political division in the US surged from 2008 onwards | University of Cambridge
Source excerpt: “Based on issues surveyed, the US left was 31.5% more socially liberal in 2024 compared to 1988, while the US right was only 2.8% more conservative. ”
- Political division in the US surged from 2008 onwards | University of Cambridge
Source excerpt: “The study, which goes up to 2024, shows that this polarisation may have begun to level off during Biden’s term, although it remains far higher than pr...”
- Political division in the US surged from 2008 onwards | University of Cambridge
Source excerpt: ““The United States is unusual in having a left and a right of roughly equal size. This has been the case for a long time, and it may help explain why ...”