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Polarization Vs Conservatism

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In America, there are two main ideologies, or organized set of ideas founded on basic principles: liberal and conservative (Kollman 331). Liberal ideology is focused on government action to alleviate social ills and pushing for social, political, and economic equality. Conversely, conservative ideology prioritizes limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and traditional American values. The Democrat Party aligns more with liberal values, while the Republican Party has ideological values that align more with conservatism. The Pew Research Center has divided the American public into eight politically engaged groups or “typologies,” along with a less engaged group labeled Bystanders. Assignment is based on individuals’ position on various social and political values—ranging from Solid Liberal all the way to Steadfast Conservative.
In spite of the diversity of opinions in the American population, political polarization has become a central facet of early 21st century American politics. Polarization refers to the sharp divergence …show more content…

According to the Pew Research Center, for example, the population of Americans that express consistently liberal or consistently conservative values has doubled to approximately 21 percent in the past ten years. As a result of this increase in polarization the two main political parties have shifted further away from one another, leaving behind the many American citizens that do not hold consistently extreme views. The Republican Party needs to target racial minorities, women, and youth votes if it wants to maintain a competitive edge with the Democratic Party. In order to do this, the Republican Party must change their policy positions on immigration, abortion, and same-sex marriage. By changing these policy positions the Republican Party will gain a new coalition of voters, and only experience slight

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