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

Your question on polarization trends deserves a look at historical data — I'll pull the latest research to compare today with past eras.

Political polarization today is worse than at any point in the modern era, but not worse than some periods in the more distant past - historians debate which comparison is most appropriate.

By Modern Measures, Yes - It Is At Historic Highs

Several measures show polarization is at a peak for the last 50-100 years:

•Pew Research Center analysis found Democrats and Republicans are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years

•As of 2025, polarization was higher than any point in current history, causing less collaboration and mutual understanding between Democrats and Republicans

•Polarization has increased since the 1970s, with rapid increases in polarization during the 2000s onwards

•Michigan State professor Zachary Neal's data suggested that political parties had become the most estranged and polarized in modern history: "What I've found is that polarization has been steadily getting worse since the early 1970s. Today, we've hit the ceiling on polarization."

•Similarly, "What I’ve found is that polarization has been steadily getting worse since the early 1970s. Today, we’ve hit the ceiling on polarization. At these levels, it will be difficult to make any progress on social or economic policies."

Pew's long-running measures illustrate the trend:

•According to the Pew Research Center, members of both parties who have unfavorable opinions of the opposing party doubled between 1994 and 2014, while those who have very unfavorable opinions of the opposing party are at record highs as of 2022

•Between 1994 and 2014, the overall share of Americans who express consistently conservative or consistently liberal opinions on a 10-item scale of political values has doubled from 10% to 21%

•The decline of the center is visible in Congress: In the 117th U.S. Congress from 2021 to 2023, there were about two dozen moderate Democrats and Republicans. For comparison, there were more than 160 moderates five decades earlier during the 92nd U.S. Congress from 1971-1972

Public perception reflects this: 85 percent say the country is more politically divided today than it was in the past

Two types of polarization are distinguished and both have risen:

•Ideological polarization (differences between policy positions) and affective polarization (a dislike and distrust of political out-groups), both of which are apparent in the United States

•Affective polarization-the tendency for individuals to exhibit animosity toward those on the opposite side of the partisan divide-has increased in the United States in recent years

•Dislike of the other party as people, which researchers call affective polarization, has risen in national surveys since the 1980s

Scholars also describe a process of belief consolidation where people who once held cross-cutting views now sort into two comprehensive worldview clusters, making polarization feel more total than before.

Compared To The Distant Past, No - The Civil War Era Was Worse

Historians frequently argue that current divisions, while severe by modern standards, pale compared to earlier periods of American history:

> As a historian who has written and taught about the Civil War era for several decades, I know that current divisions pale in comparison to those of the mid-19th century. Between Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860 and the surrender of Robert E. Lee's Confederate army at Appomattox

•No political issue in 2020 approaches slavery in the mid-19th century in terms of potential divisiveness

•"The most divisive time in our history was in the years leading up to the Civil War," he says. "In the mid-19th Century, differences were so profound representatives carried weapons into Congress."

•The Gilded Age of the late 19th century (c. 1870 – 1900) is considered to be one of the most politically polarized periods in American history, with open political violence and highly polarized political discourse

Other commentators note that for all the hype about the ruptures and partisan rancor in contemporary American society, the strife pales in comparison with much of the nation's past. There have been long stretches of American history in which conflicts were far worse

Historians also cite the 1950s and 1960s as a contrasting low-polarization period. The 1950s and 1960s were marked by high levels of political bipartisanship, the results of a post-World War II "consensus" in American politics, as well as ideological diversity within each of the two major parties. Contemporary polarization is often described as a return from that unusually consensual era, rather than an unprecedented break.

Why The Answer Depends On How You Measure

1.Time frame matters: If you compare the last 50 years (since the 1970s), polarization is at or near an all-time high. If you compare the last 160 years (including the Civil War), today is less violent and less existentially divided, though more ideologically sorted.

2.Elite vs. mass polarization: Some scholars like Morris Fiorina argue mass public is less polarized than elites and media portray, while polarization in American politics is primarily a phenomenon among Americans who are deeply involved in politics and very expressive about their political views. Others note Americans are less ideologically polarized than they think, but they are very emotionally polarized

3.Types of issues: The current divide is broad - encompassing many issues at once - whereas past peaks centered on one overriding issue like slavery. As one analysis noted, the rising political polarization and worsening regional divides in the United States today are not entirely new

In short: By any measure of party sorting, ideological consistency, and mutual dislike since the 1970s-1990s, polarization is worse than ever. By measures of political violence, institutional breakdown and national fracture, the late 1850s-1860s was worse.

Citations (4)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Political polarization in the United States
Backs: “As of 2025, polarization was higher than any point in current history, causing less collaboration and mutual understanding between Democrats and Republicans”
2hoover.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Yes, Be Very Worried Over Growing Polarization
Backs: “Similarly, "What I’ve found is that polarization has been steadily getting worse since the early 1970s.”
3govexec.comNews and mediaquality 0.87
Think the U.S. is More Polarized Than Ever? You Don’t Know History
Backs: “As a historian who has written and taught about the Civil War era for several decades, I know that current divisions pale in comparison to those of the mid-19th century.”
4sju.eduAcademic
Are We Really Living in the Most Divisive Time in American History?
Backs: “No political issue in 2020 approaches slavery in the mid-19th century in terms of potential divisiveness. "The most divisive time in our history was in the years leading up to the Civil War," he says.”