Status Updates From Why We're Polarized

trump was the most polarizing figure in american politics up to that point, but to the conservatives, so was hillary clinton. voting for her, or bernie, or anyone else, was incomprehensible.

the psychology of in group vs out group has wide reaching effects - from the mundane, to sports, to political ideology. there is a chance that, when your in group aligns with a policy, the out group could change its mind against that policy, even if they originally agreed.

so far, it’s been really cool to hear how political divide has evolved over time. the concept that we aren’t more extreme now, just more sorted, really shits on the now-lauded phrase “works with democrats and republicans” because, before we were so well sorted, working across the aisle meant working with someone ideologically similar to you, not party aligned.