Today, partisanship has become synonymous with Congress. By knowing one's party affiliation, many assumptions can be made about what policies they favor. With this rise in partisanship, though, comes a more divided American public and increased difficulty in passing bipartisan legislation in Congress.
This growing divide in the American public can be illustrated in the recent outcry against Ellen DeGeneres after a photo surfaced of her laughing with former President George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys' game. For many left-leaning people, this picture was seen as a betrayal. However, Michelle Obama shared a "similar fondness for the congenial Bush" according to Mario Nicolais. Yet, none of this backlash seems to been related in any way to Michelle Obama. The entire incident can be explained as the latest demonstration of the current hyper partisan era in United States politics.
Over the last four decades, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have become more split, as illustrated by the above figure. In the 1940s, the parties were closer together, as can be seen toward the beginning of the graph. However, in the 1980s, Republicans and Democrats moved further apart, a trend that is still continuing today.
A byproduct of the partisan trend is that members of Congress have become more reluctant to vote against their party. In more partisan districts, members of Congress vote against their party less, just 3.9 percent of the time. In competitive districts, though, members of Congress are more likely to vote against their party, on average of 7 percent of time (115th Congress). This trend is illustrated in the below graph.
Not only is Congress more divided than ever--the American people are also very divided. Even from 1994 to 2014, the median Democrat and the median Republican have moved even further apart. Today, according to the Pew Research Center, "92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat" while "94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican." This trend means that party affiliation has become more tied to ideology, a symptom of the increasingly partisan environment.
Furthermore, 27 percent of Democrats see Republicans as a threat to the nation's wellbeing. Even more Republicans, 36 percent, see Democrats as a threat to the nation's wellbeing (Political Polarization, 2016). This division in ideological views is not limited to Republicans and Democrats, however. According to the below figure, as of 2014, more people have shifted toward more partisan positions while less and less people hold a mix of positions. That trend only worsens the partisan divide.
There are even more examples of this trend. From 1994 to 2014, Republicans have shifted to the right while Democrats have shifted to the left, narrowing the space for compromise in Congress. As people's views grow more extreme, the trend of partisanship and more tribal politics will only continue to rise.
Based on these trends, then, the recent incident with Ellen DeGeneres and former President George W. Bush will only be followed by more similar incidents. As Congress and the American people grow increasingly partisan, the opportunity for compromise becomes increasingly narrow. That isn't to say that there isn't hope for compromise in Congress--it just means that bipartisan measures have to adapt to this environment of tribal politics increasingly divided along party lines.
Adler, E. Scott, Jeffery A. Jenkins, and Charles R. Shipan. The United States Congress. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/.
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
This growing divide in the American public can be illustrated in the recent outcry against Ellen DeGeneres after a photo surfaced of her laughing with former President George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys' game. For many left-leaning people, this picture was seen as a betrayal. However, Michelle Obama shared a "similar fondness for the congenial Bush" according to Mario Nicolais. Yet, none of this backlash seems to been related in any way to Michelle Obama. The entire incident can be explained as the latest demonstration of the current hyper partisan era in United States politics.
Over the last four decades, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have become more split, as illustrated by the above figure. In the 1940s, the parties were closer together, as can be seen toward the beginning of the graph. However, in the 1980s, Republicans and Democrats moved further apart, a trend that is still continuing today.
A byproduct of the partisan trend is that members of Congress have become more reluctant to vote against their party. In more partisan districts, members of Congress vote against their party less, just 3.9 percent of the time. In competitive districts, though, members of Congress are more likely to vote against their party, on average of 7 percent of time (115th Congress). This trend is illustrated in the below graph.
Not only is Congress more divided than ever--the American people are also very divided. Even from 1994 to 2014, the median Democrat and the median Republican have moved even further apart. Today, according to the Pew Research Center, "92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat" while "94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican." This trend means that party affiliation has become more tied to ideology, a symptom of the increasingly partisan environment.
Furthermore, 27 percent of Democrats see Republicans as a threat to the nation's wellbeing. Even more Republicans, 36 percent, see Democrats as a threat to the nation's wellbeing (Political Polarization, 2016). This division in ideological views is not limited to Republicans and Democrats, however. According to the below figure, as of 2014, more people have shifted toward more partisan positions while less and less people hold a mix of positions. That trend only worsens the partisan divide.
There are even more examples of this trend. From 1994 to 2014, Republicans have shifted to the right while Democrats have shifted to the left, narrowing the space for compromise in Congress. As people's views grow more extreme, the trend of partisanship and more tribal politics will only continue to rise.
Based on these trends, then, the recent incident with Ellen DeGeneres and former President George W. Bush will only be followed by more similar incidents. As Congress and the American people grow increasingly partisan, the opportunity for compromise becomes increasingly narrow. That isn't to say that there isn't hope for compromise in Congress--it just means that bipartisan measures have to adapt to this environment of tribal politics increasingly divided along party lines.
Adler, E. Scott, Jeffery A. Jenkins, and Charles R. Shipan. The United States Congress. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/.
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/.
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/.
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/.
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graphed/.
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-op
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congres
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan-divide-graph
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opini
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-congress/198/.
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/parties/all.
Bump, Philip. “The Unprecedented Partisanship of Congress, Explained.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/13/heres-why-president-obama-failed-to-bridge-the-partisan
Nicolais, Mario. “Nicolais: Denigrating Ellen DeGeneres Isn't Just Wrong, It's Harmful.” The Colorado Sun, October 13, 2019. https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/13/degeneres-bush-colorado-politics-lgbtq-opinion/
“Political Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
Quorum Analytics, Inc. “How Partisanship Impacted the 115th Congress.” Quorum, n.d. https://www.quorum.us/data-driven-insights/partisanship-in-
“UCLA Presents Voteview.com Beta.” Voteview. Accessed October 17, 2019. https://voteview.com/
Thanks for sharing all this information on polarization. It's always shocking to see data on the history of polarization in our country. As far as pushing for bipartisan legislation, I feel like our Congress is still going to struggle greatly to compromise. This also leads to the concerns of the "do-nothing" Congress. However, evaluating that can be subjective. Either way polarization still is a major obstacle in the way of Congress working together. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job with this blog post. I thought it was very beneficial to add those images to this post as it greatly enhanced your topic. It is always very interesting to look at how much our country has become polarized over the years. Overall, you did a great job with this post.
ReplyDelete