Political Polarization and the Media CIVIX - April 21, 2017 Political Polarization and the Media

Five Points Political disagreements are about feelings, not facts. Political arguments are rationalizations, not reasons. A fragmented information environment of episodic tidbits, like the one we have, reinforces #1 and #2. Our society is more divided politically than it’s been in decades, and possibly longer. The solution is probably not about finding just the right way to disabuse “idiots” of “stupid” ideas. …but let’s talk strategy just in case it is.

Media Effects “Minimal Effects”? “Agenda Setting” “Framing” Sophistication, Exposure, Influence “Infotainment,” Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Closely Divided is not Deeply Divided. Is this true? Elites are divided, but the people are not.

Party Thermometer Evaluations, Democrats, 1964-2012 Democratic Party Republican Party Data: American National Election Study, 1964-2012

Party Thermometer Evaluations, Republicans, 1964-2012 Republican Party Democratic Party Data: American National Election Study, 1964-2012

Conclusions/Implications The 2016 US presidential election did not come out of the blue. American politics, like the politics of many other countries, including Canada, has been getting more divided, and more embittered, for a very long time. The best defence against manipulation is still probably sophistication, but there is no defence, in a free society, against disagreement.