Ideological Divide Expanding In The US

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**Ahtman**

Source

WASHINGTON (AP) — Political polarization in America has broken out of the voting booth.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds Americans are divided by ideology and partisanship not only when they cast ballots, but also in choosing where to live, where to get their news and with whom to associate.

And peaceful coexistence is increasingly difficult.

According to the poll, the share of Americans who hold across-the-board conservative or liberal views has doubled in the last decade, from 10 percent in 2004 to 21 percent today. Only 39 percent of Americans have an even mix of liberal and conservative positions, down from 49 percent 10 years ago.

The numbers of ideological purists are larger among the politically engaged than the general public, suggesting the ideological stalemates that have become more common in Washington and statehouses around the country are likely to continue. A third of those who say they regularly vote in primaries have all-or-nothing ideological views, as do 41 percent who say they have donated money to a campaign.

And among partisans, ideological purity is now the standard. Majorities in both parties hold either uniformly liberal (on the Democratic side) or conservative (among the GOP) views.

**BlaxicanX**

That's extremely disappointing. People are becoming more narrow-minded and stubborn.

I identify as a liberal democrat, but there are quite a few conservative/republic ideologies that I either agree with or at least find reasonable.

**Deadshot**

The more you try to force cooperation and peace, the more the masses will resist. Humans are not designed to cooperate when something in their lives is threatened. Whether that be their life, security or ideology, you threaten it with compromise or cooperation with the threatening body and people will withdraw into their shells and seek out like-minded individuals with which they can oppose the threat in greater nmbers. Basic survival instinct.

Simply put: The more liberal you try to make things the more radical the people become. For examples see: Russia February 1917 to October 1917, Germany 1918-1945, modern racism, sexism, homophobes, the rest.

**KingCracker**

BlaxicanX wrote:
That's extremely disappointing. People are becoming more narrow-minded and stubborn.

I identify as a liberal democrat, but there are quite a few conservative/republic ideologies that I either agree with or at least find reasonable.

Same here but on the opposite side of the spectrum. I'm more republican leaning but also see much of the democrat ideology making sense as well. Constitutionally conservative socially liberal. Libertarian apparently

**MeanGreenStompa**

There is also a sizable age factor in that matrix.

So, give it about a decade and whilst there will still be an ultrahardcore conservative/religious group, it will be greatly diminished (and likely to have pushed it's self so far to the right as to have become quite dangerously unstable).

The left/liberal side at the same time, due to expansion, will have drifted towards the centerground, on account of it's size. Perhaps as that approaches it will split into fractions, however reaching accord between those fractions will be easier than any sort of reasoning with the far right.

**Frazzled**

Ahtman wrote:
Source

WASHINGTON (AP) — Political polarization in America has broken out of the voting booth.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds Americans are divided by ideology and partisanship not only when they cast ballots, but also in choosing where to live, where to get their news and with whom to associate.

And peaceful coexistence is increasingly difficult.

According to the poll, the share of Americans who hold across-the-board conservative or liberal views has doubled in the last decade, from 10 percent in 2004 to 21 percent today. Only 39 percent of Americans have an even mix of liberal and conservative positions, down from 49 percent 10 years ago.

The numbers of ideological purists are larger among the politically engaged than the general public, suggesting the ideological stalemates that have become more common in Washington and statehouses around the country are likely to continue. A third of those who say they regularly vote in primaries have all-or-nothing ideological views, as do 41 percent who say they have donated money to a campaign.

And among partisans, ideological purity is now the standard. Majorities in both parties hold either uniformly liberal (on the Democratic side) or conservative (among the GOP) views.

YES!
ONCE MORE INTO THE BREECH, DEAR FRIENDS!

Interestingly, polls are showing growing numbers of independents. How to reconcile?

**chaos0xomega**

Unsuprising, but still upsetting. We really need to move away from the two party system if this Union is to survive I think. As Abe said, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand.'

Personally, I'm registered Republican, but I've voted for Democrats, and consider myself very much to be a moderate and a centrist, specifically one that bases his position on logic and reason... you think that technocracy concept might be worth exploring again? lol

**MWHistorian**

I'm socially liberal, in the middle with economics and foreign relations.
I could easily be a democrat except for gun control and treating people different based off skin color. Some Republicans do that too, just in a different way. I'm not a Republican either.

**kronk**

I think people should have to get a license and undergo 40 hours of class work and pass a written exam and psychological evaluation and credit check before they can have kids.

Where does that fall on the Left/Right scale?

**whembly**

Yup... here's a great site showing the "polarization" for each House/Senate by party.

http://voteview.com/polarizedamerica.asp