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

The question of whether political polarization is worse today than in the past depends on when in the past you are looking, where you are looking, and how you measure polarization.

Political scientists generally agree that while polarization is at historic highs for the modern era (roughly the last 50 to 70 years), the United States has experienced periods of equal or even greater division in its deeper history.

1. How We Measure Polarization

To understand the historical comparison, political scientists distinguish between two types of polarization:

•Ideological Polarization: How far apart the two parties are on policy issues (e.g., taxes, healthcare, abortion).

•Affective Polarization: How much members of one political party dislike, distrust, and hold negative feelings toward members of the opposing party.

2. The Modern Era (Post-1970s): A Rapid Ascent

By almost any metric, polarization in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the last few decades.

•The "Anomaly" of the Mid-20th Century: In the 1950s and 1960s, American politics was unusually unpolarized. The parties had overlapping coalitions (e.g., conservative Southern Democrats and liberal Northern Republicans often voted together). Because this is the era that older generations remember, today’s politics feels uniquely fractured.

•Complete "Sorting": Since the 1970s, the parties have "sorted". Virtually all liberals have aligned with the Democratic Party, and virtually all conservatives have aligned with the Republican Party. Moderate politicians in Congress have nearly disappeared, and voting along strict party lines is at an all-time high.

•The Rise of Mutual Hatred (Affective Polarization): What makes today's division feel particularly intense is not just that people disagree on policy, but that they increasingly view the other side as a threat to the country. According to Pew Research, the share of Republicans and Democrats who view the opposing party as "immoral" compared to other Americans has surged dramatically. In the 1960s, only about 4% of Americans said they would be displeased if their child married someone of the opposing political party; by the 2010s, that figure had climbed to roughly one-third of Democrats and half of Republicans.

•A Modern Turning Point: A 2026 study from the University of Cambridge’s Political Psychology Lab found that while U.S. mass polarization on social and political issues was relatively flat in the 1990s and early 2000s, it surged by 64% after 2008.

3. Deeper History: Have We Been Here Before?

While today’s polarization is worse than at any point in living memory, American history reveals several periods of equivalent or greater crisis:

•The Civil War and Reconstruction (1850s–1870s): This remains the absolute peak of American polarization. Ideological and geographic divisions led to actual secession, a war that killed hundreds of thousands of citizens, and physical violence inside Congress (such as the infamous 1856 caning of Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor). By this standard, today’s division—while severe—has not reached the level of systemic collapse and open warfare seen in the 19th century.

•The Gilded Age (Late 19th Century): The late 1800s were characterized by intense partisan media (where newspapers were openly run by political parties), highly disciplined party-line voting, and frequent changes in party control of Congress. Political scientists using "NOMINATE" scores (which track congressional voting patterns) find that legislative polarization today is roughly equal to or slightly higher than the polarization seen during the Gilded Age.

•The Early Republic (1790s–1800s): The founding generation was bitterly divided. The battle between the Federalists (led by Alexander Hamilton) and the Democratic-Republicans (led by Thomas Jefferson) was existential. It led to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts (which criminalized criticism of the government), conspiracy accusations, and physical violence (including the famous duel in which Vice President Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton).

4. Global Context: Is the U.S. Unique?

While political polarization is rising in many parts of the world, research suggests the U.S. is an exceptional case among established democracies.

Comparative studies of Western democracies (including Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia) show that while some countries have experienced mild increases or even decreases in polarization, affective polarization in the United States has grown faster and more steeply since the late 1970s than in almost any other comparable nation. This unique trend is often attributed to the U.S.'s rigid two-party system (majoritarian institutions), the rise of partisan cable and digital media, and deep-seated cultural divisions.

Summary

Is polarization worse than it has been in the past? Yes and no.

If "the past" means the last 50 to 60 years, then yes: we are living through the most polarized, hostile, and gridlocked era of modern American history. However, if "the past" encompasses the entire history of the nation, today's divisions—while highly concerning—are part of a recurring historical cycle, and still pale in comparison to the existential fracturing of the Civil War.

Citations (15)

1usc.eduAcademic
usc.edu
Backs: “Political scientists generally agree that while polarization is at historic highs for the modern era (roughly the last 50 to 70 years), the United States has experienced periods of equal or even greater division in its deeper history.”
2democracyproject.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democracyproject.org
Backs: “Political scientists generally agree that while polarization is at historic highs for the modern era (roughly the last 50 to 70 years), the United States has experienced periods of equal or even greater division in its deeper history.”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “How We Measure Polarization. To understand the historical comparison, political scientists distinguish between two types of polarization: Ideological Polarization: How far apart the two parties are on policy issues (e.g., taxes, healthcare, abortion).”
4brown.eduAcademic
brown.edu
Backs: “Affective Polarization: How much members of one political party dislike, distrust, and hold negative feelings toward members of the opposing party.”
5youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “Affective Polarization: How much members of one political party dislike, distrust, and hold negative feelings toward members of the opposing party.”
6ucdavis.eduAcademic
ucdavis.edu
Backs: “Affective Polarization: How much members of one political party dislike, distrust, and hold negative feelings toward members of the opposing party.”
7cam.ac.ukAcademic
cam.ac.uk
Backs: “Complete "Sorting": Since the 1970s, the parties have "sorted". Virtually all liberals have aligned with the Democratic Party, and virtually all conservatives have aligned with the Republican Party.”
8reddit.comForums and Q&A
reddit.com
Backs: “Complete "Sorting": Since the 1970s, the parties have "sorted". Virtually all liberals have aligned with the Democratic Party, and virtually all conservatives have aligned with the Republican Party.”
9gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “Virtually all liberals have aligned with the Democratic Party, and virtually all conservatives have aligned with the Republican Party. Moderate politicians in Congress have nearly disappeared, and voting along strict party lines is at an all-time high.”
10syr.eduAcademic
syr.edu
Backs: “The Rise of Mutual Hatred (Affective Polarization): What makes today's division feel particularly intense is not just that people disagree on policy, but that they increasingly view the other side as a threat to the country. According to Pew Research, the share of Republicans and Democrats who view the opposing party…”
11wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “In the 1960s, only about 4% of Americans said they would be displeased if their child married someone of the opposing political party; by the 2010s, that figure had climbed to roughly one-third of Democrats and half of Republicans. A Modern Turning Point: A 2026 study from the University of Cambridge’s Political…”
12carnegieendowment.orgNonprofits and think tanks
carnegieendowment.org
Backs: “The Gilded Age (Late 19th Century): The late 1800s were characterized by intense partisan media (where newspapers were openly run by political parties), highly disciplined party-line voting, and frequent changes in party control of Congress. Political scientists using "NOMINATE" scores (which track congressional…”
13brown.eduAcademic
brown.edu
Backs: “While political polarization is rising in many parts of the world, research suggests the U.S. is an exceptional case among established democracies. Comparative studies”
14youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “This unique trend is often attributed to the U.S.'s rigid two-party system (majoritarian institutions), the rise of partisan cable and digital media, and deep-seated cultural divisions. Summary. Is polarization worse than it has been in the past?”
15usc.eduAcademic
usc.edu
Backs: “If "the past" means the last 50 to 60 years, then yes: we are living through the most polarized, hostile, and gridlocked era of modern American history. However, if "the past" encompasses the entire history of the nation, today's divisions—while highly concerning—are part of a recurring historical cycle, and still…”