Newsweek Asks: Is America More United Than We Think?

Newsweek asks one of the most important questions of this political moment: “Are we more united than we think?” In a huge roundup, Newsweek dedicated significant space to the topic, asking that question to contributors and readers from across the political spectrum. 

Almost everyone in their piece thinks there’s significantly less division than is widely perceived. Many point to the role of the media in making our divides seem worse than they are. Many also point to the role of extreme and high-animosity voices in grabbing so much attention, thereby distorting our views.

In political research, false polarization refers to when people think that polarization is worse than it is. Even though that perception is false, it can have real and dangerous consequences. People who overestimate the extremity and animosity on the “other side” will be more likely to support unfair, aggressive, and undemocratic actions in response to the threats they see. Our distorted perceptions can become reality in a self-fulling prophecy sort of way. 

America does have major divides on various issues, and many people have rational, defensible concerns about their political opponents. But we must aim for accurate perceptions of our divides. It’s important that our concerns about the “other side” reflect reality and not be overstated — that’s because our fear and anger can amplify other people’s fear and anger.

We recommend taking a few minutes to read this Newsweek piece. Even if you disagree with some of the takes, we think you’ll walk away with a clearer picture of America than when you started. 

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