Fighting political polarisation in the United States.
By Tom Barton
The United States is a vast and complex nation of over 300 million people. Yet, despite this vastness and complexity, its political system resembles a boxing match, with Republicans in the red corner and Democrats in the blue. The hostility and division between these two “sides” (the parties and their supporters) is getting worse and worse with each new election cycle – a process known as political polarisation. The 2024 Presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris revealed a nation more divided than ever.
Political polarisation has extremely negative effects on people, communities and the country as a whole. For individuals, it can lead to strained relationships with friends, colleagues and family members that might be on “the other side” of the political divide. 70% of Republicans and Democrats believe that members of the other party are “brainwashed”. For communities, increasing levels of animosity between Democrats and Republicans creates an atmosphere of mistrust. The share of adults who said “most people can be trusted” declined by more than 12% since the 1970s. Finally, at the national level, polarisation erodes the public’s faith and trust in the political system. When researchers from Pew Research Centre asked Americans “what word or phrase would you use to describe politics in the U.S. these days?”, these were the answers they got the most…
In short, polarisation is dangerous – it erodes the public’s trust and confidence in politics and, most alarmingly, in one another. But what has led to this polarisation and why is it getting worse? The answer is complex. However, there are three main things that stand out.
1) The parties themselves
For a long time, the U.S. has effectively been a two-party state. Nobody benefits more from this situation than the Republican and Democrat parties themselves. It suits both sides to frame politics as a constant battle of “us vs. them” because it keeps their supporters loyal and angry at the other side. This kind of division helps them stay in power and shuts out any smaller parties that might challenge the status quo. Despite the apparent divide between the two, both parties are actually quite close to one another when it comes to major policy issues like taxation, foreign policy and regulating big business.
2) Partisan corporate media
Partisan media – media that picks a side – took off in the 1980s, when cable news started to grow and regulations around balanced reporting were relaxed. Since then, channels like Fox News and CNN have built loyal audiences by catering to one particular side. They often focus on extreme views and emotional stories because it keeps people watching. This kind of news makes it harder to understand different opinions and encourages people to see the other side as the enemy.
3) Social media platforms
Social media is perhaps the biggest driver of polarisation in the United States (and elsewhere). The likes of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and TikTok show people the kind of posts they’re most likely to click on – this often takes the form of things that make them angry or emotional. Posts that insult or attack the other side get more likes and shares, which spreads the content even further and the cycle continues. This creates echo chambers, where people only hear what they already believe. Listening to and understanding the other side soon becomes out of the question.
For more on how social media is driving polarisation and undermining democracy: Helping people to navigate the harms of social media
While polarisation may seem like an unstoppable force, there are efforts being made to fight it. One of the most promising is being spearheaded by Builders – a nonpartisan organisation whose mission is to bridge the political divide by empowering everyday Americans to work together on solutions to the nation’s biggest challenges. Instead of focusing on who’s right or wrong, Builders focuses on what can be done and how it can be done together.
Builders have several initiatives that are designed to bring people together.
Builders Media – they create content that highlights real stories of Americans cooperating across political lines.
Citizen Solutions – brings together groups of Americans with different political views and backgrounds to talk, listen, and work together on creating policy proposals.
Power Rankings – these track public figures and institutions, rating them based on whether they are helping or hurting the national conversation.
The work that Builders is doing has the potential to reshape American politics. By creating spaces where Americans from different backgrounds and political beliefs can come together, they are helping to rebuild the trust and cooperation that polarisation has eroded. Speaking of her experience at a Citizens Solutions session in Wisconsin, one woman said that it “reminded me how important it is to be in a community with people who think differently”.
However, the challenges facing Builders are deeply entrenched. The two-party system has no real incentive to support movements that threaten its dominance. On top of that, the increasingly authoritarian tone and actions of the Trump-led Republican presidency are making bipartisan cooperation feel even less likely. With lingering resentment over impeachment efforts during the current president’s last term, it seems highly unlikely that high-ranking Republicans will make efforts to reach out across the political aisle.
Perhaps the biggest threat, though, comes from corporate media and social media platforms that thrive on outrage and division. Their business models rely on keeping Americans angry and engaged through conflict, not cooperation. In this landscape, Builders’ message of unity risks being drowned out, like a calm and quiet voice in a loud and chaotic room.
The organisation itself also has its limitations. As a donation-based organisation, their financial resources are limited, particularly compared to the enormous political and corporate entities they are trying to challenge. Building a broad and effective movement on a tight budget will be no small feat.
Additionally, there’s the broader issue of political disengagement. Many Americans are so disillusioned by the state of politics that they no longer want to participate at all. While Builders might offer something new, just getting people to believe in the possibility of change is a serious challenge. For a lot of ordinary citizens, the system feels so broken that opting out seems easier than trying to fix it.
Still, Builders has a number of key strengths that give them a fighting chance. The most important is that they don’t take sides. In a deeply polarised country, this neutrality gives them credibility that partisan groups simply don’t have. Their work can’t be easily dismissed as “left-wing” or “right-wing” because it isn’t either. They are also tapping into a widespread, growing frustration. Most Americans are tired of the fighting and want to see real progress on the issues that affect their lives. The fact that 78% believe not enough attention is being paid to these issues shows just how widespread the appetite for change is.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Builders are helping to raise awareness of polarisation, not just in the United States, but around the world. By drawing attention to polarisation itself – something most media and political institutions ignore or exploit – they’re performing a vital public service. Even if they don’t change laws and policies right away, they are changing minds, and that is how real change begins.