I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters. – Donald J. Trump, then-candidate for President of the United States[1]
In this class, we will examine political polarization in the United States from both an institutional and behavioral perspective. Quotes like the one above suggest that Americans are hopelessly polarized, pushed by our partisan predispositions to vote for or against a candidate regardless of whether we like that candidate’s issue positions or personal characteristics. Are voters so hopelessly divided that they cannot reason dispassionately? And are American institutions so divided they cannot legislate and govern in a way that benefits everyone? These are the questions we will grapple with this semester.
[1] Trump Campaign Rally in Sioux Center, IA, January 23, 2016.