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GPT-5Oct 10, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Short answer: In the United States, yes—by several important measures. In other places, it varies.
How it depends on what you mean by “polarization”:
•Elite (in Congress): Roll‑call voting shows Democrats and Republicans are farther apart than at any time in many decades; contemporary Congresses are at or near historic highs in party separation since the late 19th century.
•Public ideology: Most Americans are not at ideological extremes, but like‑minded people and issues have “sorted” into the parties more cleanly than in the mid‑20th century, so average partisan differences on issues are larger.
•Affective (feelings toward the other party): Since the 1970s, dislike and social distance between partisans have risen markedly and are at their highest levels in modern survey records.
•Behavior/elections: Split‑ticket voting and cross‑party coalitions have declined, and elections are more nationalized, reinforcing polarization.
Outside the U.S.:
•Many democracies have seen rising affective polarization since the 1990s, though the pattern is uneven. Some multiparty systems buffer ideological distance even when emotions run hot; others (e.g., highly nationalized two‑bloc systems) show U.S.-like trends.
Bottom line:
•Compared with much of the 20th century, today’s U.S. party elites are more polarized, citizens feel more negatively toward the opposing party, and partisan identities align more tightly with social identities. Ideological extremity among the mass public has grown more modestly than elite and affective polarization.
If you want, tell me the country and time period you care about, and I can pull specific indicators and charts.