American Government › Section I · Political parties › Topic I.4
Divided government and polarization
In 1950 leading political scientists complained that America's two parties were too alike to give voters a real choice. Today the complaint is the reverse: the parties are far apart, often share power uneasily, and their supporters increasingly distrust each other.
In this topic
- From too similar to too far apart
- Divided and unified government
- Costs and benefits of divided control
- Shutdowns and standoffs
- What polarisation means
- Worked example: reading data on partisan dislike
- Explaining polarisation: sorting and media
- Explaining polarisation: district lines
- Worked example: testing the gerrymandering thesis
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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