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

Yes, by multiple standard measures, political polarization in the United States is worse (higher) than it has been in recent decades—roughly since the mid-to-late 20th century—though it is not unprecedented in the full span of U.S. history and remains well short of extremes like the Civil War era.[1]

Polarization has two main forms that researchers track: ideological (differences in policy positions and values) and affective (emotional dislike, distrust, or hostility toward the other side). Both have risen substantially in the U.S. public and among elites (e.g., Congress) since the 1970s–1990s, with acceleration in the 2000s and especially after around 2008. The U.S. stands out among advanced democracies for the sharpness of this rise.[2]

Evidence of Rising Polarization in Recent Decades

These trends are driven by factors including elite cues and party sorting, media/social media fragmentation and algorithms, demographic/cultural changes, geographic sorting, economic shifts, and events (financial crisis, Obama/Trump eras, COVID, etc.). Engaged partisans drive much of the intensity; the broader public is less extreme but still more sorted.

Historical Context: Not the Worst Ever, But Distinct

The U.S. has no golden age of perfect unity. Polarization has waxed and waned:

Today’s polarization is high relative to the post-WWII baseline and other wealthy democracies (V-Dem and cross-national data show the U.S. rising above peers to “pernicious” levels in recent years). It feels especially intense because the left and right are roughly equal in size (unusual globally), media amplify extremes, and it permeates daily life/culture. However, most Americans are not fully tribalized extremes; divisions are “fuzzy,” and there is still issue-by-issue variation and some shared ground (e.g., on certain foreign policy or practical matters). Support for political violence remains low among the public overall, even if perceptions of it are high.[4]

Caveats and Nuance

In short, for the modern era that most people experience and remember, yes—polarization (especially affective and partisan) is worse than in the relatively bipartisan mid-to-late 20th century and has intensified notably since the late 2000s. It is a serious challenge, but historical perspective shows the U.S. has survived deeper divides. Data from sources like Pew, ANES, Cambridge, and congressional scores provide the clearest evidence of the recent upward trend.