Enchanted America: How Intuition & Reason Divide Our Politics

by J. Eric Oliver, Thomas J. Wood

America is in civic chaos, its politics rife with conspiracy theories and false information.  Nationalism and authoritarianism are on the rise, while scientists, universities, and news organizations are viewed with increasing mistrust. Its citizens reject scientific evidence on climate change and vaccinations while embracing myths of impending apocalypse. And then there is Donald Trump, a presidential candidate who won the support of millions of conservative Christians despite having no moral or political convictions. What is going on? The answer, according to J. Eric Oliver and Thomas J. Wood, can be found in the most important force shaping American politics human intuition. Much of what seems to be irrational in American politics arises from the growing divide in how its citizens make sense of the world. On one side are rationalists. They use science and reason to understand reality. On the other side are intuitionists. They rely on gut feelings and instincts as their guide to the world. Intuitionists believe in ghosts and End Times prophecies. They embrace conspiracy theories, disbelieve experts, and distrust the media.  They are stridently nationalistic and deeply authoritarian in their outlook. And they are the most enthusiastic supporters of Donald Trump. The primary reason why Trump captured the presidency was that he spoke about politics in a way that resonated with how Intuitionists perceive the world. The Intuitionist divide has also become a threat to the American way of life. A generation ago, intuitionists were dispersed across the political spectrum, when most Americans believed in both God and science. Today, intuitionism is ideologically tilted toward the political right. Modern conservatism has become an Intuitionist movement, defined by conspiracy theories, strident nationalism, and hostility to basic civic norms. Enchanted America is a clarion call to rationalists of all political persuasions to reach beyond the minority and speak to intuitionists in a way they understand.  The values and principles that define American democracy are at stake.   

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Sociology, Psychology

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2018

About the author

Eric Oliver is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and studies American politics, public opinion, political psychology, local politics, racial attitudes, and the politics of science.

His current research examines why people believe in conspiracy theories, why liberals and conservatives name their children differently, why 2016 was a populist election, and what is changing in America's democracy.

His latest book, Enchanted America: The Struggle between Reason and Intuition in US Politics (publication in September 2018), argues that the major political divisions in America right now are not between liberals and conservatives, but between "intuitionists" and "rationalists."

Reviews

[Richard Sansing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors make a persuasive case that what really divides Americans when it comes to politics is not ideological but rather in the way we think. On one side are the Rationalists, who use reason and the scientific method to understand the world. On the other side are the Intuitionists, who use gut feelings as their guide. The intuitionists distrust the press, distrust experts, and embrace conspiracy theories. They argue that Trump won the Republican nomination and the election because the he spoke resonated strongly with Intuitionists.

The weakest part of the book is that way the authors try to frame our political divide as one of Republican Intuitionists against Democratic Rationalists. I see plenty of conservative Rationalists politicians (Romney, Kasich, Flake) and pundits (George Will, David Brooks) and no shortage of "enchanted thinking" on the left (opposition to vaccines, GMOs, free trade). Still, the authors provide a useful lens through which to view the 2020 primaries and election.

[Roo O'brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, enlightening and at times unnerving study of how beliefs in the supernatural and conspiracies are increasingly becoming married to the political right. It offers no easy answers but suggests that rationalist writers and politicians may want to think how they appeal to such thought patterns. The abandonment of rationality on the left, too, would be an interesting topic for future research.

[Kellie Isaacson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really think this book could have said all it needed to in about 100ish pages. I kept seeing the same phrases pop up everywhere . Very enlightening and had great points on wanting information.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

sheesh this book is bad. it’s not even just that the tone is so denigrating toward conservative Americans, but it’s also how the tone is indicative of how the authors approached their research in the first place. and it shows throughout the book as they present people as sets of survey results. unfortunately, this book only increases my skepticism toward the value of political science. just read more history.

[Myles · Rating 4 out of 5]

America has a lot to thank Donald Trump for say sociologists J. Eric Oliver and Thomas J. Wood. But his tweets are not among them.

“Enchanted America: How Intuition and Reason Divide Our Politics” tells us that Trump’s America is not and never has been as rational as some experts would like us to believe.

Rather, a majority of Americans actually believe the myths and fairy tales their religious congregations teach them and fail to see the reality before their own eyes.

The bullying racist talk shows, the negative-ad politics, even the exclusionary political actions of the Republicans count more as symptoms of the problem instead of the problem itself.

America is in the hands today of people who prefer an enchanted view of the world, who when faced with ambiguity and uncertainty panic in favour of pat answers and their own intuition of what must be right and what must be wrong.

The response of the intuitionist right is little more than a natural response to this environment especially one cultured by today’s media and social media landscape where “breaking news” and “crisis” entertainment consumes our waking hours.

So now I can lay awake at night not only worrying that Donald Trump might push the nuclear button instead of the Twitter Send button by mistake. There are millions of Donald Trumps along my southern border (I being Canadian) who when given the chance might do exactly the same.