What Is Ideological Division A Problem

With healthcare reform and the recent government shutdown, one might want to know what has made our country so divided. The truth of the matter is that our nation is still broken up into distinct regions with ideologies dating back to the first settlers. Although our nation was strongly initiated on the grounds of revolution and liberty, the entire country has not always had the same views. While we as a country have been through a great number of immigration waves, civil war, and reform, the nation is still divided into two significant blocs with opposing ideologies. While hear in the Northern alliance of reform we do not feel as much tension because of our

People found in this area are usually the ones who are very sophisticated and modernized. Despite their geographic differences, America is “not a divided nation” because when we need help, our differences diminish bringing us together to form a united nation.

In recent years, Americans have become more divided as a people. Many people say America has not been as divided since the Civil War as we are now. America is not supposed to be divided, but lately, it has been. Overall, Americans have been divided as a whole, and some of the main reasons are because of politics, wealth, and race.

The United States has maintained its two party system for some time, but the major parties have not always been so clearly separated. In the early and mid-twentieth century, polarization was actually declining, as there was much ideological overlap between the members of the two parties (Kuo). Many people, such as conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans, rested in the ideological middle. Additionally, each party represented a coalition of diverse interests. At

Where there is disagreement, there will be conflict. America has experienced many of these problems since colonial times, and the fundamental issues disputed caused sectionalism. Sectional crisis began when the North and the South first recognized their differences and their ideas of different interests. Since arriving in the New World, Americans have struggled to find identity and unity. Just how did the journey to discovering oneself lead to the bitter sectionalism that divided the country? Some may disagree, but sectionalism was closer than you think.

Unity has always been the goal of America. However, as their land expanded their unification fractured. From 1800 to 1850, America was separated between slave supporters and slave abolitionists. As America moved west, the conflict between the two sides increased because of the issues regarding southern farming, slaves states, and contradicting new laws.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Polarization is defined as the “division into two opposites”. (Merriam-Webster) Political Polarization refers to the perceived division of ideologies espoused between the two major political parties in the United States. The topic of political polarization is one frequently referenced in the media and in political discussions. Does political polarization actually exist or is it a myth? In this paper, this question will be analyzed and examined and a conclusion will be reached.

Susan Page offers powerful support in the form of ethological appeal, logical appeal, and the use of imagery to convey readers the separation of political parties in her article, Divided We Now Stand. The rhetorical strategies Page uses help achieve her purpose of demonstrating the American people are to blame for the divided line between our citizens. Page chose these detailed and affirmative strategies to show American citizens that blaming the government for the country’s separation in wrong.

In the United States we are divided by the left and right side on the political spectrum; even further divided into political parties such as Republicans, on the right, and Democrats, on the left side. These two political parties show philosophical differences through their viewpoints on major topics such as the economy, separation of church and state, abortion, and gun control.

The United States, often referred to as a “melting pot,” is known for its extensive cultures. This paramount aspect of the Unites States makes it so unique yet it also happens to be the center of its many conflicts. America, although seemingly doubtful due to the vast amount of cultures and people, has been able to withstand conflicts and adversities because Americans have been able to learn from the country’s past and find a way to use their differences to come together.

America has always been associated with the idea of being filled with diversity and for the most part that is true. We are diverse in culture, ethnicity, religion, politics, income, character, and in many other ways. But when you bring us together we aren’t unified and as truly diverse as others might believe. “…what I have seen all around the country is people making strenuous efforts to group themselves with people who are basically like themselves” (Brooks 261). I agree with this statement because, it’s accurate in the sense that we tend to place ourselves in groups that we have more in common with just because

Peter Marin writes about how America is not a “melting pot”. He mentions that though that might not be so bad for America, it does

From 1972 to 2004, Abramowitz points out that the correlation between ideology and party identification rose from .32 to .63 showing an increase over time from a more moderate stance to a more polarized one in the engaged electorate. In the 1984 to 2004 ANES, the least interested and least informed Americans were shown to be in the middle of the liberal-conservative spectrum, while the more informed and active constituents were more likely to be more polarized. From the 2006 Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES) data, Abramowitz states that even Independents leaned more liberal or conservative than weak Democrats or weak Republicans respectively. Again, nonvoters made up forty-one percent of the center of the distribution affirming that only the nonvoters are non-ideological and non-polarized. In regards to social groups, Abramowitz concluded that religious commitment mattered more than social status, but overall, voter’s ideological beliefs made a greater impact on party loyalty than being part of any social

No matter what I tried, I could never truly have an objective mindset if I continued defining the term American as I was. If I clung to my own preconceived notion that there was something unique about Americans, I could never be objective. So instead, I began to look at other countries, trying to find parallels. To my shock and dismay, I found that America is actually similar to North Korea in some ways: citizens of both countries are raised on nationalistic pride and are told that they live in the greatest country in the world, that there is no place better. This corrupts one’s ability to look at their country with a truly objective eye. From this, I discerned a troubling fact: all people are the same, regardless of nationality or personal beliefs. There is no true separation between individuals of different countries, helping to develop my current belief that the term American holds no special regard in comparison to the rest of the world. It is simply a term used to allow an individual to feel

Other factors that divide United States citizens include LGBTQ issues, views of centralized government, immigration, and gender issues. Americans are divided so politically due to their personal stances on issues. Class, race, and gender definitely plays a role in the division. People side with politicians who reflect their personal views and can implement policies that help them.