Review: Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America

Polarized is a good academic discussion of American polarization and it proves its story in a myriad of ways: American parties used to be pluralistic, geographically dispersed under the New Deal System created in the 1930s, but Democratic dominance led to a splintering and slow polarization brought to a head in 1994.

This polarization started in the electorate, first appeared in the presidential elections, and finally set Congress on its current dysfunctional path.

Ultimately, there seems to be no realistic solution to this problem. Campbell throws out “education” and “journalism”. I don’t know if he has ever heard “the ongoing education crisis” or “journalism is dead” but he doesn’t really have any other ideas. The disease has been diagnosed in excruciating detail, but there is no medicine.