Recently, a Pew Research Center poll stated that Americans are more polarized today than they've been in the last 25 years. We tend to live in neighborhoods with other fellow Democrats or Republicans. With the popularity of TV networks and Internet websites, people can easily find information that agrees with their opinions while avoiding things that don't. And while this leads us to be active members of our democracy, we only become more politically inclined to our party and more opposed to the other's views. Culture wars such as religion and class have underlined this split, as well as issues including gay rights and abortion.
Some believe that while there has been a social, economical, and geographical sorting of the American people, it doesn't mean we are politically divided. The conventions just show the extreme political leaders, while the voters themselves are "reasonable and pragmatic".
While the majority of voters may be levelheaded, politicians are the ones driving the split. With each party unwilling to compromise, instead stubbornly set in their own political opinions, how is America as a whole supposed to find solutions? Our political leaders are more worried about blaming the other party for our troubles than working together to fix them. While compromise is not the answer for everything, it would be a step in the right direction towards a better America. Politicians need to be more open-minded and willing to work as one, whole government.
The future of our nation is currently in their hands. If we continue on this path to a polarized America, the term United States will be politically incorrect.
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