Divided Politics, Divided Nation

Hyperconflict in the Trump Era

Divided Politics, Divided Nation cover

Divided Politics, Divided Nation

Hyperconflict in the Trump Era

Out of stock
$24.44 RRP $30.55 Website price saving $6.11 (20%)
Notify me by email when this item is available

For information on how we process your data, read our Privacy Policy

Description

Why are Americans so angry with each other?
The United States is caught in a partisan hyperconflict that divides politicians, communities—and even families. Politicians from the president to state and local office-holders play to strongly-held beliefs and sometimes even pour fuel on the resulting inferno. This polarization has become so intense that many people no longer trust anyone from a differing perspective.
Drawing on his personal story of growing up as a fundamentalist Christian on a dairy farm in rural Ohio, then as an academic in the heart of the liberal East Coast establishment, Darrell West analyzes the economic, cultural, and political aspects of polarization. He takes advantage of his experiences inside both conservative and liberal camps to explain the views of each side and offer insights into why each is angry with the other.
West argues that societal tensions have metastasized into a dangerous tribalism that seriously threatens U.S. democracy. Unless people can bridge these divisions and forge a new path forward, it will be impossible to work together, maintain a functioning democracy, and solve the country's pressing policy problems.

Table of Contents

Contents:
Preface: Upheaval
1. Mistrust:
The Reagan Revolution
The Clinton Period
Bush and the War on Terror
The Obama Years
Shock and Awe under Trump
2. Economic Frustrations:
The Decline of Agriculture
Lost Manufacturing Jobs
Wage Stagnation and Inequality
A Rise in Public Anger
3. The Decline of Opportunity
Growing Up Poor
Advancement through Education
Obstacles for the Current Generation
Destruction of the American Dream
4. Identity Politics
Conservative Tribalism
Liberal Tribalism
Power Tribalism
Mistrusting Other Tribes
5. Religious Tensions
Fundamentalism
Secularization
Religious Exemptions
6. The Backlash against
Globalization and Immigration
Opening Borders
Cross-Cultural Tensions
Tough Enforcement
Ultranationalism
7. Undue Influence
Overt Corruption
College Admissions
Philanthropy
8. Overcoming Hyperconflict
Widespread Polarization
Diverging Identities
Mistrust and Intolerance
Opponents as Enemies
Political Sorting
The Decline of Facts
Reconciling Differences
Take a Conservative or Liberal to Lunch
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

Product details

Published Mar 26 2019
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Extent 234
ISBN 9780815736929
Imprint Brookings Institution Press
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Related Titles

Environment: Staging