Nolan McCarty on Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know

Policy Punchline

Nolan McCarty is the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs and Interim Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He is the co-author of several books, including Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy and Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches. His most recent book, Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know, explores the origins, development, and implications of the rising tide of political polarization in the U.S. In this interview, Professor McCarty discusses the current state of American politics and the events that brought us here. Why is polarization more extreme now than it was fifty years ago? What are the consequences of increased polarization? What steps can we take to alleviate this issue? Professor McCarty walks us through contemporary theories and empirical facts of political polarization, explaining the implications of these trends on government, policymaking, and society as a whole. We also discuss “affective polarization” and the relationship between social media and political tensions. Does the election of Donald Trump represent a new level of polarization, or is it just more of the same? What should we expect for the future of polarization? Professor McCarty offers insightful answers to these questions and more.