… Partisanship and polarization have been on the rise over the last 30 years. There are fewer competitive House districts, largely drawn by Republicans, which has meant more ideological purity in Congress and more hard-line, and, at times, ugly, in-your-face politics. It’s all mixed together to make for a toxic brew of mistrust and antipathy that shows in the potentially dangerous decline in the lack of trust in institutions. …
Americans don’t tend to like either political party very much. A December NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that the parties were viewed nearly identically and in a negative light. Below the numbers, an intensity of dislike has grown. Over the last 30 years, members of both parties have been increasingly likely to express extremely negative views of the other political party. In 1994, only about one-fifth of Americans said they had a “very unfavorable” view of the other party. …
For those who wonder where this leads, the consequences are already being felt. There are growing fears about U.S. democracy domestically and abroad. World leaders were aghast at the Jan. 6 insurrection and were left questioning the U.S.’s ability to lead. CONTINUED
Domenico Montanaro, NPR News
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