Delineating the Source and Implications of Social Polarization

The purpose of this research was to examine the causes and consequences that meta-perceptions of polarization in the United States entails. The survey used in this study assessed respondents demographic and political information prior to questions regarding polarization. This study found that the polarization in the United States results from a multitude of variables, including: the intrusion of partisan cues into everyday life, social sorting, polarization’s implicit effect, and differences in moral concern. Moreover, polarization encompasses and variety of ramifications that include disease, amplified interparty animosity, biased policy evaluation, reduced governmental efficiency, intraparty polarization, tribalism, and the quest to achieve political victory rather than achieving the “greater good.” In further discussion, it was determined that polarization poses two main outcomes for the United States: a perpetual cycle in which polarization continues to increase over time, or a future in which polarization has already reached its apex and, thus, will deescalate over time. In light of these findings, it is prudent for Americans to refrain from impulsivity to preclude the onset of polarization and its accompanying repercussions