While markets initially cheer the return of right-wing populists to office, such high hopes are almost never realized.

In the United States, France, and Germany, political violence has been rising. The problem is not just emotive political polarization. Extreme political parties, irresponsible leaders and democratic disillusionment also play key roles, and are eating away at the heart of our political systems.

But broad patterns obscured two noteworthy trends.

Pernicious polarization is a process that divides an electorate into two mutually distrustful camps. It can be thought of as us-versus-them polarization. It occurs when politics is reduced to a single dividing line around some kind of identity.

Four crucial signals can inform us about whether America’s authoritarian descent is real.

The pre-willingness of America’s billionaire class to grovel before a strongman, even before they are forced to comply, shows just how quickly freedom of the press in America is likely to fold when confronted with any significant pressure.

Recent assaults on DEI from the right have caused people who care about a diverse, inclusive America to circle the wagons. But proponents of diversity do need to alter these programs—not to please those who want to go backward, but to help America become the inclusive nation it needs to be moving forward.

A realignment is already underway. So long as the country remains stuck in a messy stalemate, America will face greater political violence.

Political leaders, more than anyone, have the power to stoke or stamp out this dangerous cycle of violence.

A discussion on what the research says about the roots and repercussions of polarization in American politics.

The Context is a podcast from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, about the history, trends, and ideas shaping democracy in the United States and around the world. 

A discussion on the risks of political violence in the United States and what can be done to address them.