Divided Politics, Divided Nation

Hyperconflict in the Trump Era

Darrell M. West

• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780815736929
• Topic: Politik & Internationale Beziehungen
• Subtopic: Konservatismus & Liberalismus

Why are Americans so angry with each other?

The United States is caught in a partisan hyper-conflict 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.

INDEX

Abortion, 3, 41, 75, 103, 109

Abramowitz, Alan, 176

Abuse: of children, 46, 48; domestic, 46, 158; substance abuse, 45–47, 66, 101. See also Sexual harassment

Academics. See Education

Ackman, William, 150

Admissions process, 151–55

Affirmative action, 6, 86, 154

Affordable Care Act (2010), 30, 37, 67, 123–24

Agriculture, 40–45; communist systems of, 108; dairy farms, 10–11, 41–43, 145–46; embargoes and tariffs related to, 40–41; hay baling, 43–44; immigrant labor in, 128–29, 141; percentage of workforce in, 40; planting and harvesting, 43, 54; profit sharing in, 54–55; rural areas impacted by decline of, 41, 45; self-sustainability through, 57

Ailes, Roger, 92–94

Alcohol abuse. See Substance abuse

Allen, John, 165

Aluminum tariffs, 40

American Dream, 54, 65, 67–68, 187

Anthem demonstrations, 171

Anti-Semitism, 184

Anton, Tom, 161, 162

Assault, sexual, 80–85, 100

Atheism, 74, 108, 109

Atkins, Doug, 30, 119, 121

Atkins, Laura, 8, 118, 119

Authoritarianism, 33, 35, 140, 165, 180

Azari, Julia, 167

Babbitt, Sam, 162

Baker, Jim, 15

Baling hay, 43–44

Barry, David, 176–77

Bergen, Candice, 156–57

Bernstein, Carl, 62

Bible: doctrinal stances based on, 73; fundamentalist interpretations of, 104–05, 109, 113–14; on homosexuality, 3–4, 78, 79; literal interpretation of, 111, 113–14; selection of books for inclusion in, 112

Biden, Joe, 184

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 164

Billionaires (West), 2

Billowitz, Lisa, 80

Bin Salman, Mohammad, 140, 165

Birth control, 75, 123–24

Blasey Ford, Christine, 100, 101

Bloom, Alexis, 93

Bloomberg, Michael, 2, 93

Booker, Corey, 184

Brendel family murders, 116–17

Brewer, Katie, 118, 119

Breyer, Stephen, 94–95

Bribery, 145–48

Brookings Institution: billionaires list published by, 2; fundraising at...