Political polorization, the destruction of America

People around the world all have their opinions when it comes to politics and everyone thinks apart from one another. Everyone thinks in a different way, and you can’t have a normal conversation with someone without them losing their control or their temper. Open conversation brings light to a controversial question. So, should people express their political beliefs? 

People will always have different opinions. It’s a part of human nature, in fact, it is not easy to find two people today that agree with each other. The issue isn’t that people don’t agree with each other. The overall issue is that people let their ideas and opinions stop them from seeing that the person that does not agree with them is more than just what they think about a topic. People never take the chance to see the other side. They just go with what they read on the Internet or what their local politician tells them. They disregard the fact that they may not be right, regardless of what you believe in, you should think with a clear mind, and open up to new ideas. Politics are controversial and toxic but it is important to understand both sides of an issue. 

According to Frank Newport, Author of the article The impact of increased political polarization says “Most importantly, polarization and partisan conflict lead to inaction. As “my way or the highway,” ideologically rigid mentalities lower the probability of achieving the compromise that should be at the heart of legislative functioning.” which points to the fact that people only look at ideas their own way. When you have that on both the liberal side and conservative side of politics it shows a real issue.

On the other hand, many argue that political polarization is good. Frank Newport says, “a strong emotional allegiance to one’s political and ideological reference group can have significantly positive effects for individuals, who gain meaning and purpose in life from social solidarity with an in-group while railing against threatening enemies.” This means that because of their opposing ideas they can come together when both sides share a common enemy. 

Another reason that political polarization is not good for America is because of the simple fact that people feed themselves with their own lies. If you pay attention to politics, you understand the liberal left and the conservative right. Both of these sides express their ideas to the extreme. According to Rachel Kleinfeld and Aaron Sobel authors of 7 ideas to reduce political polarization. And save America from itself they say “Democrats and Republicans used to disagree on policy issues — that’s the normal, useful tension that drives democracy. Today, each side fears the other will destroy the nation if they achieve power. Partisanship becomes equated with patriotism, and destroying the other side becomes the ultimate goal.” Which is exactly why people need to see past politics. This idea is dangerous for democracies. There needs to be more common ground, and understanding within political parties, for the sake of this country. 

You can see what politics does to a country. What it does to relationships, what it does to yourself, and the way you think. Everyone always has their mindset when it comes to their own personal political ideas, That is the opposite of what we need. Regardless of age, race, gender, socio-economic status, etc. Think for yourself and realize that you are not always right and what you are told is not always right. As Americans, we have access to so much raw information and are able to decide ideas for ourselves. It shows us that we take advantage of our access to information more than we already do. Everything is there for you to think with a clear mind and come up with your own opinions. Utilize it.