Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?

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.