Research
- +10
Rosa Balfour, Frances Z. Brown, Yasmine Farouk, …
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Source: Getty
In The Media
The Winner of the U.S. Election? Polarization
Profound political divisions now plague most of the world’s democracies and, rather than reducing polarization, election campaigns exacerbate it. Instead of serving to calm tension and unite the country, elections now boost radicalization.
By Moisés Naím
Published on Nov 24, 2020
Source: El País
This election confirmed that the United States is a typical 21st-century democracy. That is to say, a politically torn country.
Profound political divisions now plague most of the world’s democracies. They are becoming so extreme that many citizens define their political identity in contrast to “the other side.” Deep, automatic intolerance toward people who hold rival political ideas and preferences is the norm. Often, the anger and animosity toward those with clashing political views are such, that opponents are not even accepted as legitimate political actors. Naturally, the more polarized a country is, the more difficult it is to govern.
About the Author
Moisés Naím
Distinguished Fellow
Moisés Naím is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a best-selling author, and an internationally syndicated columnist.
- The World Reacts to Biden’s First 100 Days
- View From Latin AmericaCommentary
Moisés Naím
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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