Party Polarization Essay

1563 Words4 Pages

Over the years, the American political system has developed in such a way in which parties have become increasingly polarized. In terms of ideologies as well as identifications, members of government and common voters have become more extreme and loyal to their respective parties, creating an increasingly partisan government. Before understanding why parties have become more polarized, the definition of party polarization must be understood. A specific definition of party polarization can also be understood as partisanship when someone’s stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party. But what exactly has caused party polarization and what are the consequences …show more content…

In order to appeal to their constituents, politicians act as agents that serve the respective needs of constituents (*lecture). However, politicians also tend to have party agendas that sway voters to one side. One prime example of this is the pro-choice versus pro-life debate on abortion between Republicans and Democrats. It is typical of a Democratic politician to follow a party agenda that promotes pro-life ideologies and will therefore promote pro-life policies such as increasing funding for Planned Parenthood. While not all Democrats will be pro-life, they will still vote for Democratic politicians because of party identification, giving an impression of more polarized views. This logic extends to nearly everything that divides Republicans and Democrats including but not limited to gun control, energy, same-sex marriage, income tax, and global warming. Likewise, people can also be more moderate on certain issues, but when they vote for a certain politician, they can be showing more support than they feel. This gives politicians incredible power in terms of what they can do and most tend to participate in the act of “gerrymandering”, or drawing legislative districts in order to give one political party an advantageously larger share of seats for the share of votes (Kernell 681). Knowing that their constituents will likely still support them, politicians have leeway in terms of what they can do, and what they have done traditionally has contributed to increased

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