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

Whether political polarization is "worse" than in the past depends on how you measure it and which era you are comparing it to.

If the comparison is to the American Civil War (1861–1865), the answer is no. During that era, polarization led to the literal physical splintering of the country and a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Similarly, the late 1960s featured far more physical, political, and social violence than today—including high-profile assassinations (Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy), mass riots, and bombings.

However, if you are comparing today’s landscape to the mid-to-late 20th century, the answer is a resounding yes. By almost every metric used by political scientists, political polarization is at its highest level in over a century.

To understand why, it helps to look at the different ways researchers measure polarization and how today’s divisions are structurally different from the past.

1. Affective Polarization (Disliking the Other Side)

One of the most dramatic shifts in modern politics is the rise of affective polarization—meaning citizens don’t just disagree with the opposing party’s policies; they actively dislike and distrust the people who support them.

2. Ideological Polarization and "Sorting"

In the mid-20th century, the two major American parties were big, messy coalitions. You could easily find conservative Southern Democrats and highly liberal Northeast Republicans. Because of this overlap, bipartisanship was common.

Today, the parties have gone through a process called partisan sorting. Virtually all conservatives are now Republicans, and virtually all liberals are Democrats.

3. What Makes Today's Polarization Unique?

While the U.S. has had periods of high tension before, the modern era features several unique drivers that prevent the "temperature" from cooling down:

Summary

If "worse" means armed conflict, we are not at the levels of the 1860s. If "worse" means physical violence and civil unrest, we are generally still below the chaotic peak of the late 1960s.

However, in terms of systemic gridlock, the complete sorting of our social identities into two warring camps, and the sheer level of personal animosity that citizens feel toward their political opponents, political polarization in the United States is worse today than it has been at any point in living memory.