Even if you haven’t studied political polarization, you’ve probably experienced it. You may feel it in the way every conversation with a certain family member turns to politics, or how something as simple as walking into the grocery store and noting who’s wearing masks.
And it’s not just you — polarization is becoming a defining feature of the American political system. It’s become concerning even to politicians.
“I see the polarization as like a national security threat,” said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly.
“I think that if we can’t, if we’re so polarized that we can’t govern, we reinforce this idea that democracy doesn’t work.”
Ahead of an already-amped election, MLive political reporters Malachi Barrett and Emily Lawler have spent the last few months connecting with people all over the political spectrum, longtime observers and political academics and experts about why we’re ticking in such opposite directions.
