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Bruce Springsteen on July 19, 1988 at his concert in East Berlin on the cycle track Weissensee.

Can the 1980s Explain 2024?

The yuppies embodied the winning side of America’s deepening economic divide. Bruce Springsteen spoke for those left behind.
by Nicholas Lemann via Washington Monthly on August 25, 2024
People in red and blue with campaign signs and posters, yelling at each other across a widening chasm.

Divided We Stand: The Rise of Political Animosity

Scientists peered into the partisan abyss. They looked to see why hostility has become so high between groups with different political leanings.
by Carl-Johan Karlsson via Knowable Magazine on August 19, 2024
Ronald Reagan taking the presidential oath.

The GOP's Lurch to the Right

Past conservative figures seem moderate by today's standards.
by Brian Rosenwald via Smerconish on February 27, 2024
Obama, Reagan, Trump, George W Bush, and Biden

Things Fall Apart: How the Middle Ground on Immigration Collapsed

Politicians from both sides used to agree on immigration policy. What happened?
by Kirk Semple, Jonah M. Kessel via New York Times Op-Docs on January 23, 2024
Ripped American flag.

The Greatest Threat to the Unity of the Country Is the Class Divide

How many rich moderates would join the MAGA far right if redistribution policies threatened their wealth?
by Kim Phillips-Fein via The New Republic on December 2, 2022
Hand tossing a coin.

Why Is America Always Divided 50–50?

Despite wrenching economic and political changes in the country, Democrats and Republicans keep finding themselves nearly tied in election after election.
by Annie Lowrey via The Atlantic on November 8, 2022
Picture of two warring sides of the abortion debate in a heated exchange.

The Myth That Roe Broke America

The debate over abortion is an important part of the story of polarization in American politics, but it is not its genesis.
by Adam Serwer via The Atlantic on May 18, 2022

Republicans and Democrats Are Describing Two Different Constitutions

Conservatives and liberals both cite the nation’s charter, but they’re not talking about the same parts of it.
by Julian Nyarko, David Pozen, Eric Talley via The Atlantic on June 2, 2019
Martin Luther King Jr. criticizes the Vietnam war at a speech at University of Minnesota in 1967.
partner

Centrism and Moderation? No Thanks.

In times of moral crisis, everyone picks a side — even those proclaiming neutrality.
by April Holm via Made By History on February 27, 2019
partner

Stop Worrying About a Second Civil War

Predictions of society coming undone reflect deep anxieties over the divisions roiling the country, but these professed fears about our future actually provide hope.
by Jason Phillips via Made By History on October 12, 2018

Today’s Eerie Echoes of the Civil War

We may not be in the midst of a war today, but the progress of democracy in this country is still tied to the rights of its most vulnerable citizens.
by Manisha Sinha via New York Review of Books on March 6, 2018
Political cartoon of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis pulling apart a US map while McClellan tries to hold them together.

Politics Is More Partisan Now, But It’s Not More Divisive

And anyway, agreement between the two parties has often masked serious problems.
by Julia Azari via FiveThirtyEight on January 19, 2018
Obama and Trump in the Oval Office.

Two Cheers for Polarization

We may not like it, but when it comes to U.S. politics, polarization may very well be part of the solution.
by Sam Rosenfeld via Boston Review on October 25, 2017
Violence during the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017.

America's Deadly Divide - and Why it Has Returned

Civil War historian David Blight reflects on America’s Disunion – then and now.
by David W. Blight via The Guardian on August 20, 2017

America's 'Big Sort' Is Only Getting Bigger

Political polarization in the U.S. mirrors its spatial divide.
by Richard Florida via CityLab on October 25, 2016

The Polarized Congress of Today Has its Roots in the 1970s

Polarization in Congress began in the 1970s, and its only been getting worse since.
by Drew DeSilver via Pew Research Center on June 12, 2014
"The Underground Railroad" (1893) by Charles T. Webber depicts a fugitive slave reaching the North.

The Abolitionist Titan You’ve Never Heard Of

John Rankin, minister and fierce abolitionist, is a man worth remembering in our moment.
by Isaac Willour via Law & Liberty on November 8, 2024
A masked man with a sword waves an American flag at the face of a masked man with a stick on the anniversary of the January 6 riot.

Hyperpolitics In America

When polarization lacks clear consequences, Americans are left with "a grin without a cat: a politics with only weak policy influence or institutional ties."
by Anton Jäger via New Left Review on October 31, 2024
Leatherface swinging a chainsaw branded with the American flag.

It Might Be the Scariest Movie Ever Made. There’s Never Been a Better Time to Watch It.

The vibes right now are very "Texas Chain Saw Massacre."
by Emily C. Hughes via Slate on October 29, 2024
"We the People" collage.

Is It Time to Torch the Constitution?

Some scholars say that it’s to blame for our political dysfunction—and that we need to start over.
by Louis Menand via The New Yorker on September 23, 2024
Donald Trump speaks at a rally in July in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

What’s the Matter With the Democrats?

Two new books reveal the shortcomings at the heart of the liberal critique of Trump voters.
by Sean T. Byrnes via Dissent on September 23, 2024
Person wearing Trump 2020 hat in front of protesters with signs being in opposition of funding the war in Ukraine.
partner

Will Foreign Policy Decide the Election?

While it is rare for foreign policy differences between the political parties to affect electoral outcomes, it has happened before.
by Lindsay M. Chervinsky via Made By History on September 19, 2024
Photo collage showing an anti-abortion rally, a same-sex marriage, and the Supreme Court, among other things.

How U.S. Public Opinion Has Changed in 20 Years of Our Surveys

We took a closer look at how Americans’ views and experiences have evolved on a variety of topics over the last 20 years.
by Jenn Hatfield via Pew Research Center on September 13, 2024
Illustration by Joanne Imperio / The Atlantic. Sources: Bettmann / Getty; Heritage Art / Getty; NY Daily News Archive / Getty.

What a 100-Year-Old Trial Reveals About America

A new book on the famed 1920s court case traces a long-simmering culture war—and the fear that often drives both sides.
by John Kaag via The Atlantic on August 29, 2024
The Hall of the House of Representatives.

Are We Living Through Another 1850s?

It’s difficult to see how these profound antipathies and fears will dissipate soon through any normal political processes.
by Robert W. Merry via The American Conservative on July 22, 2024
The side of Donald Trump's face, focused on his bandaged ear from his attempted assassination.

Historians See Echoes of 1968 in Trump Assassination Attempt

But they also find key differences.
by Olivia B. Waxman via TIME on July 17, 2024
Barry Goldwater giving a speech at the Republican National Convention.
partner

The Republican National Convention That Shocked the Country

The pulsating anger in San Francisco 60 years ago became the party's animating spirit.
by Charles J. Holden via Made By History on July 17, 2024
Demonstrators holding signs at George Floyd protest in NYC, 2020.

Americans Used to Unite Over Tragic Events − and Now Are Divided By Them

Tragedy seldom unifies Americans today.
by Thomas D. Beamish via The Conversation on June 18, 2024
A collage of the Eugene V. Debbs museum and advertisements for his presidential campaign from prison inside the museums collection.

‘Unless Jesus Christ Was Running’: In MAGA Country, Post-Verdict Trump is Still the Answer

Eugene Debs ran for president from prison. His former bellwether county — and museum — both hold lessons for Trump’s campaign.
by Adam Wren via Politico on June 3, 2024
Alexander Hamilton

The Federalist No. 1: Annotated

Alexander Hamilton’s anonymous essay challenged the voting citizens of New York to hold fast to the truth when deciding to ratify (or not) the US Constitution.
by Alexander Hamilton, Liz Tracey via JSTOR Daily on May 30, 2024
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