Polarization

A Dickens of a Dichotomy

Arnie Reisman | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Internet, Politics, Polarization, Republican Party, Bush Tax Cuts, Class Warfare, Trickle Down Economic, Politics News
Arnie Reisman

The national motto of France, which had its roots in the French Revolution, is "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite." And how is that working for us here in the U.S.? Our liberties are being threatened by rightwing power grabs and over-reactions to threats of terrorism.

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Bathing in Moral Superiority

Alex Castellanos | Posted 04.02.2012

Read More: Political Polarization, Polarization, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation, Civil Debate, Republican Party, Republicans, Politics News
Alex Castellanos

In the Grand Old Party, we see moral standards as necessary but humbling measures of our imperfections, revealing how far and how often we fall short. The principled perfection of the left, however, requires little such humility.

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What Olympia Snowe and the Media Get Wrong About Polarization in American Politics

Jonathan Weiler | Posted 05.01.2012

Read More: Gop, Authoritarianism, Olympia Snowe, Heatlh Care Reform, Political Polarization, Obama, Polarization, War on Science, Democrats, Politics News
Jonathan Weiler

The Olympia Snowes of the world can complain all they want about the lack of middle ground. But plaints like this misapprehend fundamentally the dynamics of American politics. We're polarized largely because one party -- Snowe's own -- has simply gone off the deep end.

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On Change

Marian Salzman | Posted 04.29.2012

Read More: Newscrafting, Women, U.S. Economy, Gray Divorce, Purple, Social Networking, Hope, Hyperlocalism, Terrorism, Singleton, World Trade Center Attacks, Future, Trendspotter, Hyperlocal, Facebook, World Trade Center Memorial, Barack Obama, Marriage, Change, Metrosexual, Trendspotting, Sustainability, Political Polarization, Polarization, Oklahoma City Bombing, Gay Marriage, Virtuality, Family, Culture News
Marian Salzman

And who could have imagined a world of "Yes, we can," in which a young-ish African American president gets elected, only to be challenged by those claiming to want to restore some notion of the American dream, complete with a blurring of church and state?

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Polarization: Why It's Destroying Our America, Our World, and Our Lives

Ethan Marcus | Posted 01.28.2012

Read More: American Politics, Political Polarization, Polarization, High School News
Ethan Marcus

Polarization in any environment is never a good thing-- unfortunately, this is what has happened to our world and our country, especially in its policies and politics.

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Democracy With No Center Is a Zero

Peter Samuelson | Posted 11.12.2011

Read More: Third Party, Polarization, Tea Party, Compromise, Democracy, Democratic Party, Centrist Politics, Republican Party, Extremism, Politics News
Peter Samuelson

Democracy is a rare and precious flower and it has allowed more progress for more people than any other system ever invented. But it is fragile. You can't yell too much. You can't demonize those who disagree with you.

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Self-Criticism: A New Habit of Mind

Carla Seaquist | Posted 09.25.2011

Read More: Self-Criticism, Birthers, Debt Ceiling Talks, Obama Birthers, Federal Deficit, Debt Ceiling, Federal Debt, Political Philosophy, Political Polarization, Sarajevo, Polarization, American Decline, Politics News
Carla Seaquist

Once again we do the rigid Kabuki dance, leading once again to political stalemate -- this time over raising the federal debt ceiling. Even with the ...

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America Divided

John Graham | Posted 09.19.2011

Read More: Politics, Debt Ceiling Talks, Polarization, Debt Ceiling, Sierra Leone, Politics News
John Graham

Watching the sandbox antics in Washington over yet another polarizing issue -- the debt ceiling -- I feel sad and angry at my country's incompetence.

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Crowdsourcing for the Common Good

Jeffrey Abelson | Posted 09.18.2011

Read More: Citizen Deliberation, Deliberation, Crowdsourcing, Wisdom of the Crowd, Polarized Politics, Deliberative Democracy, Polarization, Self-Governance, Self-Government, Politics News
Jeffrey Abelson

What if there were a way to neuter ideological extremists, and zero out the oversized influence of lobbyists and big money and all the corruption that follows? And do it pretty damn quick.

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"Standstill Nation" as the New Abnormal?

Thomas Ferguson | Posted 08.20.2011

Read More: Money and Politics, Congress, Polarization, Gridlock, Politics News
Thomas Ferguson

Let's try to clarify why Congress is actually gridlocked. The bottom line is, alas, a bottom line. It is not complicated. And it has nothing to do with any design for a digital age.

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Assessing the Republican Field

David Helfenbein | Posted 06.20.2011

Read More: Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Arizona Shooting, Lgbt, Political News, Michelle Bachmann, Republican Primary, John McCain, Primary, Cnn, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty, Polarization, Republicans, Politics News
David Helfenbein

There are four real contestants in the Republican primary. They are as follows, and in no particular order: Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and Tim Pawlenty.

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America's Personality-Based Political Divide

Jonathan Weiler | Posted 06.15.2011

Read More: Authoritarian Personality, Authoritarianism, Personality, Brain, Birtherism, Donald Trump, Republicans, Polarization, Democrats, Politics News
Jonathan Weiler

Many factors are conspiring to reinforce and intensify a fundamental rift in Americans' political self-identification based on deep-seated personality characteristics.

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Conversation With Thomas Ferguson: How Political Money Drives Deadlock

Lynn Parramore | Posted 06.12.2011

Read More: Congress, Polarization, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour, Money and Politics, Campaign Finance, Party Politics, Politics News
Lynn Parramore

Ferguson, father of the Investment Theory of Politics, explains why polarization has completely gripped Washington -- and why the New Deal is getting rolled back in the process.

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Pledge of Peace

Judie Fein | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Republicans, Saudi, Polarization, Peace, Democrats, Pledge, Iran, Tea Party, Keeping an Open Mind, Open Heart, Healthy Living News
Judie Fein

There's this organ in the middle of my chest that obliges me every second of every day by beating. It can be wounded, disarmed and stunned, but it kee...

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2010: America Held Hostage

Bob Burnett | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Groucho Marx, Bernie Sanders, Polarization, Class Warfare, Rush Limbaugh, Economic Crisis, Politics News
Bob Burnett

Our fellow citizens suffer from a collective psychosis: Americans think the US can't operate without the rich. We are, in effect, protecting them.

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Power, Politics, and Polarization

Birute Regine | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Domination, Mark Foley, Cooperation, Women in Congress, Gladiator Defense, Polarization, Vulnerability, Ted Haggerty, Eliot Spitzer, Women Politics, Women, Rush Limbaugh, The Wizard of Oz, Politics News
Birute Regine

Fewer women in Congress is not just a woman's issue. It leaves the Congress comprised largely of men, and perfect conditions for even more posturing. Boys always behave better when girls are around.

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Offense? Insult? The Firing of Juan Williams

Kathleen Reardon | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Npr, Politics, Juan Williams, Fox, Polarization, Bill O'Reilly, Fox News, Media News
Kathleen Reardon

The Juan Williams firing is a lesson about reacting too strongly before all the facts are in. It's a lesson about the dangers of relying on assumptions about intent without inquiring.

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From Soup to Nuts: The Authoritarian Transformation of the Republican Party

Jonathan Weiler | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Personality Differences, Rich Iott, President Obama, Authoritarianism, Muslims, Jan Brewer, Sharron Angle, Homophobia, Polarization, Carl Paladino, Politics News
Jonathan Weiler

The fact that the more and less authoritarian now find homes in opposite political parties has made our politics almost impossibly acrimonious.

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A Step Toward Recovery from Our Oil Addiction

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Stewards, Social Justice, General Interest Magazine, President Obama, Evangelical Press Association, Prophetic, Economy, Renewable Energy, Publication Awards, Addiction, Clean Energy, Mainline, Poor, Prophet, Protestant, Gulf, Environment, Oil Spill, Fossil Fuels, Climate Change, Energy Economy, Grandchildren, Addict, Polarization, Justice, Gulf of Mexico, Fossil Fuel, Magazine Awards, Catholic, Moral Compass, Polluters, Politics, Epistles, Biblical, New Generation, Evangelical, Personal Faith, Renewable Energy Sources, Energy Industry, Faith Leaders, New Economy, Business Leaders, Sojourners Magazine, International Relations, Environmentalist, Glenn Beck, National Wildlife Federation, Green News
Jim Wallis

Moving toward a "clean energy economy" will require more than just a re-wiring of the energy grid; it will also take a re-wiring of ourselves -- a conversion, really, of our habits of the heart.

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Goodbye/Hello 16 "Apart-isanship in Bickersville"

Patt Cottingham | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Bi-Partisanship, Getting It Done, Movement, Resolve, Stagnation, Polarization, Action, Gridlock, Broken Government, Politics News
Patt Cottingham

Left, Right, Independent, Tea Party-ers, who cares for the sake of the country get it together. Apart-isanship is dragging America and the urgency o...

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Concentric Circles of Service

Jeffrey Abelson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Rights, Corey Booker, Empathy, Passive Citizens, Self Governance, Service Nation, Mlk, Informed, Good Society, Obligation, Gridlock, Broken Government, Compassion, Responsibilities, Power Vacuum, Civic Literacy, Martin Luther King, Political Action, Activism, Service, Volunteer, Civic Duty, Political Literacy, Polarization, Special Interests, Giving, Lifelong Learning, Citizen Service, Tom Tancredo, Impact News
Jeffrey Abelson

There's a missing link in our quest for a good and equitable society. In addition to volunteering, we must educate ourselves and impact our government to achieve lasting change on prominent issues.

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Obama as a "polarizing" president

Brendan Nyhan | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Approval Ratings, Barack Obama, Polarization, Polarizing, Pollster, Politics News
Brendan Nyhan

In today's New York Times, Peter Beinart describes President Obama as having "failed in the effort to be the nonpolarizing president" and calls him "o...

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Optimizing Democracy

Jeffrey Abelson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Sub-Optimal, Political Problem-Solving, Civic Virtue, Civic Apathy, Public Passivity, Dysfunctional Democracy, Self-Governance, Self-Government, Citizen Responsibilities, Gridlock, Civic Engagement, Public Anger, Polarization, Political Ignorance, Political Wisdom, Political Elites, Politically-Engaged, Citizen, Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Politics News
Jeffrey Abelson

While issue after mega-issue begs in vain for wise and farsighted solutions from our fearless leaders -- politically-engaged citizens shake their heads in disgust and disbelief.

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The Big Lie At The Heart Of McCain's Ayers Campaign

Stephen C. Rose | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: John McCain Attack Ads, Stephen C. Rose, Mccain, Msm, Vietnam War, Turning the Page, Msm Immaturity, Robocall, Distortion, Washington Post, Mccain-Rnc Robocalls, Misquoting, Patriotism, News Coverage, Heft, Bill Ayers, Blog, Iraq War, William Ayers, Conscientous Objector, Vietnam, Polarization, Attack Ads, John McCain, Robocalls, Media News
Stephen C. Rose

In a deep sense, this election really is about turning the page on the thinking that would divide us by whether we have regrets about Vietnam. Or Iraq. Or war period.

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