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GPT-5Oct 27, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Leans yesSays it is contested
Short answer: in the United States, yes—by several key measures—but “worse than ever” depends on what you mean by polarization and which era you compare to.
How it’s worse now (vs. the late 20th century):
•In Congress (elite ideological polarization): Parties are farther apart on roll‑call voting than at any time in the modern record, and roughly comparable to the highly polarized late 19th century. Cross‑party coalitions are rare, and party‑line votes dominate.
•Among the public (affective polarization): Since the late 1970s–1990s, partisans have grown much colder toward the other party and warmer toward their own. People are more likely to see the other party as a threat and to sort social life (zip codes, media, friendships) along partisan lines.
•Electoral behavior: Ticket‑splitting has fallen; outcomes are more “nationalized,” and many counties are now landslide counties that consistently back one party by large margins.
Where it’s more nuanced:
•Issue positions (mass ideological polarization): Voters have sorted so that liberals are mostly Democrats and conservatives mostly Republicans, but the average voter hasn’t moved to the extremes on every policy. The big change is sorting plus stronger negative feelings about the other side.
•Compared with the most divided eras (e.g., the 1850s–1860s or parts of Reconstruction), today’s polarization is less violent. But in terms of party alignment and mutual animosity, it’s very high by modern standards.
Why it’s risen:
•Party “sorting” after the civil rights realignment made the parties more ideologically distinct.
•Media and information changes (cable, social media) and geographically sorted living patterns reinforce partisan identities.
•Primaries, safe districts, and nationalized politics reward ideological consistency and partisan confrontation.
•Negative partisanship: mobilizing against the other side often outweighs persuading moderates.
If you’re thinking about a country other than the U.S., or specific dimensions (Congress, voters, media, online discourse), tell me which and I’ll tailor the answer.