Essay On Political Polarization

     In the following essay I will be talking about the disadvantages and advantages of partisan elections for state politics. I will also examine the last couple year’s election results and costs. Finally, I will discuss if partisanship made a difference in the vote, as well as if a judge should be decided by partisan vote. In the next couple paragraphs I will talk more specifically about these topics.

In the following essay I will be talking about the disadvantages and advantages of partisan elections for state politics. I will also examine the last couple year's election results and costs. Finally, I will discuss if partisanship made a difference in the vote, as well as if a judge should be decided by partisan vote. In the next couple paragraphs I will talk more specifically about these topics.

Over the past three decades, the distance between parties has continued to grow steadily. As their distances increase it has become harder for presidents to receive votes from both parties.

Texas is one of seven states that elect judges in partisan elections. Judicial selection begins with partisan elections and notable amounts of money for campaigning in order to win the election or reelection. Partisan elections influence the electorate in a consistent party label voting procedure. With the present day option of split-ticket voting, the electorate can simply vote for their party. Judges are removed only by failure to be reelected by the Supreme Court due to incompetence, official misconduct, negligence, or by impeachment from the House or trial in the Senate with a two-thirds vote.

The political climate today is increasingly becoming more turbulent as Republicans and Democrats volley for superiority in Washington. The two parties are becoming more polarized by the hour, and this is affecting the ability of the government to move forward and pass legislation and continue to improve America. The Senate is in a state of gridlock on some of the most important issues to the people of the United States to date, and yet the senators which the people elected are instead caught up in fighting the people on the other side of the aisle. They should be listening to what their constituents need and want. Today Republican senators are using filibusters, scare tactics, and even entire news networks

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for reelection in 2010. In the 2010 U.S. House election, the average amount spent by Super PACs in 87 districts was $242,580; see Table 1 and Figure 1 for average spending by outside entities and challengers. The maximum about Super PACs spent was $912,503 in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District, where Cory Gardner (R) defeated incumbent Betsy Markey (D). The average independent expenditures by political parties in 94 districts was $1,238,897. The maximum outside party spending was $4,289,706 in Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District, where Tim Walberg (R) beat incumbent Mark Schauer (D). The average challenger spending was $704,692 in 366 districts. Figures 2, shows the

4. Many argue that partisan polarization has led to dysfunction within Congress and between Congress and the president. What are the sources of polarization? How does polarization influence the development and implementation of public policy? Provide evidence from the lectures and scholarly literature (see Thurbers chapter on this) and examples from recent policy debate.

Polarization in politics is a conflict that both Is Polarization a Myth written by Alan I. Abramowitz as well as Kyle L. Saunders and Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America written by Morris P. Fiorina talk about. On a political scale it has either a republican side or a democrat side and in the articles they discuss whether or not people are in the middle of the scale, or on one side or the other. Alan and Kyle are trying to prove that people are beginning to choose one side or another and stated in Is Polarization a Myth, “Our evidence indicated that since 1970s, ideological polarization has increased dramatically among the mass public in the United States as well as among political elites”( Abramowitz and Saunders 542). Florina stated in chapter two that each election the votes came in 50:50. After reading the articles I came to a conclusion that I agree with Fiorina’s opinion on polarization.

James Campbell’s book is a political masterpiece that outlines how American voters are divided across the United States. Campbell provides a totally new perspective on the polarization with a historically context on how and why voters are politically divided. Campbell’s argument may seem indirect, but he provides circumstantial evidence and empirical evidence to support his claim of polarization. Polarized is significant to understanding American polarization, and surprisingly other books fail in comparison due to their lack of empirical evidence. Campbell’s book was written in 2016 which provides updated information that can help explain the cause of 2018 election polarization among voters.

If one stops and takes a look at our political system today, one could be surprised by the remarkable progress that we have accomplished in this great country of ours. Many people believe that all is good in the USA, and that our political system could not be any better than it is today. However, this isn't true, our political system is taking a dive towards the worst. Who might the culprit be behind this decline of the political system in America today? The answer to this, is none other than polarization and partisanship. One might wonder, how exactly does this spread? The answer lies in social media. Americans will be able to find common ground and become less polarized, in a political sense, if and only

Representation is an essential component of a republic, yet moneyed interests often seem to carry more weight in congressional representation than the interests of the average citizen. One avenue in which big money can affect polarization is through election communication. For language and communication is the avenue for political conflict and developing policy outcomes (Grimmer and Stewart, 2013). Moreover, voters have ideological preferences that match with the candidates but do not know who is the closest candidates is to their positions. Electoral communications become a salient venue to highlight the congruence between a candidate’s ideological position and a candidate’s (Krupnikov, 2011). Now Super PACs have become an avenue by which

It is not a coincidence that the increased availability of news sources has been accompanied by increasing political polarization. Over time, polarization appears to have spread to the level of mass public opinion (Abramowitz & Saunders, 2006; Jacobson, 2006; Abrams, & Pope, 2005). For instance, in U.S. politics, Democrats’ and Republicans’ negative evaluations of a president of the other party have steadily intensified (Abramowitz & Saunders, 2006; Jacobson, 2006). The presidential approval data reveal a widening chasm between Republicans and Democrats; the percentage of partisans who respond at the extremes (‘‘strong approval’’ or ‘‘strong disapproval’’) has increased significantly over time. In fact, polarized assessments of U.S. presidential performance are higher today than at any other time in recent history, including the months preceding the resignation of President Nixon.

It would come as a shock to few to state that polarization is present in American politics and that in some cases, that polarization is quite extensive. However, far too often such a general statement is taken at face value and is assumed as the truth in most cases. The question all too often relies on universal applicability and thus, one is left with the blanket “American politics is polarized” statement. Yet, if one were to analyze the state of views on political topics across the nation, one might discover that this blanket statement is highly inaccurate, conveying only a half truth. As Morris P. Fiorina lays out in Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America, the deep-set polarization across the nation that is often assumed as generally

Alleviating Polarization Among Political Elites Discussion occurs in the US in regards to what impact elites have on specific levels of polarization. According Culture War? political elites are categorized to include activists, who have extreme views and are well informed on specific policy issues, as well as government representatives such as congressmen, senators, the president, etc. Political elites are driven by ethnicity, religion, gerrymandering, and geographic sorting, fueling conflict extension. Specific factors such as government interactions and social beliefs in politics significantly impact how political elites make America polarized, and in order to move forward, a compromise must be reached so that progress may take place.

Regardless, my topics are not always what college-aged people are talking about in regards to political happenings. From the flaws of North Carolina’s education system to problems with the General Assembly’s recent redistricting efforts, my efforts have been set on tackling sizeable issues.