The 2020 election confirmed what Americans have known for some time – that the nation is deeply divided. To learn more about why and what we might do about it, the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture surveyed more than 2,200 people, then issued a report.
For the last fifteen years, sociologists James Davison Hunter and Carl Desportes Bowman have completed in-depth surveys of American adults, hoping to learn more about the nation’s political culture.
"We wanted to know what the hopes and fears were that drove people to their various positions," Bowman explains.
He says Americans do agree on one thing.
"The top fear for the future of America was the threat posed by political polarization and divisiveness. People on both sides of the aisle agreed that this was the biggest threat to America."
Hunter adds that both sides see a simple fix.
"The solution to the polarization is for the other side to get with the program. It’s for the other side to accommodate our world view, our interpretation.+ The only way forward is for the other side to get on board with us."
But that, Bowman says, is unlikely to happen. For one thing, we disagree about national priorities.
"Progressives tended to be very, very concerned about racism, about inequality and poverty, about climate change, about unrestricted access to assault weapons. Conservatives believe that media distortions and fake news were a top threat to America, that China is a strong threat, that crime and lawlessness, socialism, political correctness are strong threats to the future of the country."
Nor do we trust those who get elected to make the changes we believe are needed.
"There is a profound level of distrust of our nation’s leadership, lack of confidence across the board about the nation’s dominant institutions and accomplishing the work they’re supposed to accomplish," Hunter says. "There’s a cynicism as well, especially about our political leadership. That’s not going away. The election of Joe Biden to the presidency is not going to resolve that legitimation crisis,” Hunter says.
Bowman adds most Americans don’t think much of those with whom they disagree.
"Trump voters overwhelmingly say that Trump’s opponents are closed-minded, that they’re misguided or misinformed, that they’re intolerant. Biden voters say that Trump supporters are close-minded, misguided, misinformed and intolerant."
Trump supporters called those who backed Biden arrogant and pretentious, while Biden’s base described Trump fans as religious hypocrites and racists. But Bowman says it could be worse.
"The two sides are not quick to characterize the other side as evil or dishonest of un-American.
And the survey found one surprising area of agreement on an issue that’s been portrayed as highly controversial. The number of people who object to wearing masks as a way to stop the spread of COVID-19 might be smaller than you think.
"We asked: If you had gone to a store during the height of the corona virus in March or April, and there was a sign saying you can’t come in unless you’re wearing a mask, how would that have made you feel? Ninety percent said it would either have made them feel better or would have made no difference. And only 10% said it would make them feel worse about the store."
He and Hunter agree that there are ways this country can begin to heal. We’ll look at what might help the United States to re-unite in our next report.
Part Two
When the University of Virginia surveyed more than 2,200 Americans on their political attitudes, the divisions were so sharp that the researchers titled their report Democracy in Dark Times. But they have some ideas about how our leaders might begin to build consensus as Sandy Hausman reports.
To understand what sociologists Carl Desportes Bowman and James Davison Hunter suggest, you have to look at American culture. When they studied their survey results, there was one thing that stood out. The most common division between Democrats and Republicans, Bowman says, is education.
"We found, when we looked at a lot of the standard demographics and cultural factors that it was whether or not you have a college degree in combination with race and religiosity – people with not just a college degree but advanced levels of education, over 80% said they were going to vote for Joe Biden. If you take people without college degrees but who are also evangelical or conservative in their religious point of view, it was nearly 90% who said they were going to vote for Donald Trump. It’s that black and white."
There was a time, Hunter adds, when the nation’s elite were Republicans.
"One of the big changes that has taken place over the last couple of decades is that the top 10-20% of the population in terms of education and income, high prestige jobs, and overwhelmingly the wealthiest Americans are Democratic. "
The change began after World War II, when the GI bill paid for veterans to attend college.
"The expansion of higher education in the post-World War II period was not just about equipping more and more Americans with the skills to operate within complex information economies. It was about the cultivation of new cultural sensibilities – a new world view," Hunter explains.
But the number of students enrolling in college has been falling since 2017.
Another important change involves the proliferation of media outlets. While baby boomers grew up watching one of four TV networks and reading a newspaper, today’s viewers can choose from hundreds of cable channels and streaming services, not to mention social media platforms.
"The ideal of an educated public capable of sorting through these complex, divergent messages, and Americans coming to their own conclusions independently of this cacophony of news and information from so many different sources – the idea that most Americans are prepared to do that hard work is a myth," Hunter says. "What people do is they find the kind of information that aligns with their own prejudices, and they stay there."
He adds that there’s a deep distrust of mainstream media, and we don't have much faith in corporations. So what can this country do about the lack of social unity? Hunter suggests more funding for education and a new celebration of public service.
"What we’re talking about are problems that are deeper than politics itself. There is no party that can address this by itself. Public schooling, private education – they’ve largely abandoned civics education. They don’t even talk about this stuff anymore, so it seems to me we’re failing as a society. There are fixes, but it requires people in all spheres, working honestly and diligently to rebuild civil society. I think institutions and their leadership need to start demonstrating not only the spirit and the rhetoric but also the actions of genuine public service."
In a word, he adds, our leaders must show more courage, standing for things that may not be in their personal interest.
