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what is political polarization?
the concept is not new, but there is a recent trend of increasing polarization across the world
"Political theorists have long argued that stable and cohesive society are characterized not by lack of conflict but by different conflicts balancing each other out." (Törnberg, 2022)
negative partisanship
negative partisanship is the tendency for some voters to be motivated by opposition to a political party or group.
polarization occurs when party attitudes shift away from the center and toward the extremes.
VIDEO: Ezra Klein speaking to Trevor Noah about
why America is Polarized
isn't competition good?
healthy competition can reinforce the strength of democracy, but polarization can lead groups to refuse cooperation, stagnating democracy
on social media, these interactions encourage more harmful engagement, such as sharing fake news.
VIDEO: TedEd talk about Fake News
how polarization occurs
today, mass media is one of the main ways
that people become polarized.
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social media is the largest platform where
individuals can view politically-extreme content, and social sorting en masse happens when we are exposed to so many divergent opinions.
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