Muse Spark 1.2Oct 113 citations
Is political polarization worse than it's been in the past?
Polarization today is sharp — but is it historically unprecedented? I'll pull the data to compare now to the past.
Short answer: By most modern measures, yes - but it depends on what time frame and what kind of polarization you mean.
1. What "worse" usually means today
Scholars distinguish two types:
Ideological polarization - differences in policy positions
Affective polarization - dislike