Episode 2-3: Polarization

Ideal points in the U.S. House, via VoteView

You can’t really talk about U.S. politics today without talking about polarization, but that concept is sometimes very murky, and can even be a distraction or a dodge. In this episode, John asks Seth some key questions about polarization — is it getting stronger, how is it related to the media, is it a dodge, is it related to gerrymandering, might it actually be good, can it be mitigated, etc. — and Seth goes off. Plus there’s an important discussion of babka.

Links:

• Daniel Kreiss and Shannon C McGregor, “A Review and Provocation: On Polarization and Platforms”

• Daniel Hopkins, The Increasingly United States

• Paul Pierson and Eric Schickler, Partisan Nation

• Joshua Dyck and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, The Power of Partisanship

• 1950 APSA report “Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System”

• Poole/Rosenthal/Lewis polarization measurements

• Seth’s Tusk post on Republicans no longer moderating before elections

John’s chocolate babka (back) and almond frangipane babka (front)