1. Polarization in America Lecture 7 May 24

2. Is America Polarized? How? On what set of issues (Social or Economic) What is the role of parties and interest groups?

3. Four Arguments Yes- Cultural War Yes- Cultural War and Ethno-religious Conflict Yes- Cultural War and Class Yes- but only the elite (politicians and party activists)

4. Culture Wars David Hunter- 1990 Culture Wars: The Struggle To Define America Leege et al. -2003 The Politics of Cultural Difference

5. Culture Wars Cultural conflict emerges when two “ways of knowing” create different senses of moral order about what people, ideas and actions are acceptable. America’s “ways of knowing”: Religion Science

6. Culture Wars People obtain their understanding of the moral order through one of these sources and in some cases from both leaving us with three types of individuals according to Hunter: Orthodox- Religion Moderate –Religion and Science Secular - Science

7. The Orthodox Committed to “an external, definable and transcendent authority.” -Believe in Objective Moral Order. -Denies the idea of moral relativism. -See religious teachings as the ultimate source of authority. -Attends religious services and participates of activities.

8. Divisions Varies by Religion: Catholicism- Church’s tradition. Judaism- commitment to Torah and the community. Protestantism- devotion to the Scriptures.

9. The Progressive “resymbolize faith according to the prevailing assumptions of contemporary life.” -Identifies with a Religious tradition. -Believes in the idea of Moral Relativism -Rarely attends to religious services and other activities. -Believes separation state-church. -Believes that certain religious teachings, but also believes that others are symbolic. -Have faith in Science and social progress.

10. The Secular -Believes separation state-church. -Have faith in Science.

11. Divisions within the Seculars Conservatives Seculars- Natural Law Liberals- Moral Relativists

12. The Nature of Polarization according to Hunter Camp 1 Camp 2 Orthodox within all Religions Secular Conservatives Progressives within all Religions Secular Liberals

13. The Nature of Polarization according to Leege et al. Camp 1 Camp 2 Religion (Orthodox) Science (Seculars and Progressives)

14. The Nature of Polarization Some conclusions: 1)At the heart of the new realignment are pragmatic alliances being formed across faith traditions. 1)Culture Wars is about the struggle to define America.

15. Culture Wars and Ethno- Religious Conflict Geoffrey Layman- 2001 The Great Divide

16. Culture Wars and Ethno-Religious Conflict Layman espouses a combination of two approaches: The Ethno-Religious Approach The Culture War Approach

17. The Ethno-Religious Approach This approach argues that certain religious groups align with a particular political party because of the convergence of religious groups’ values and party’s platforms. Examples: Catholics and Jews in the Democratic Party and mainline Protestants in the Republican Party

18. The Culture Wars Approach This approach argues that society is internally divided on issues of morality and the proper role of the state between traditionalists and modernists. Traditionalists on one side advocate the most orthodox positions and exhibit the highest commitment to the religious group, while modernists advocate the most liberal positions and exhibit the lowest commitment to the group.

19. The Nature of Polarization according to Layman RepublicanDemocratic Modernists Traditionalists Secular Liberals Secular Conservatives Liberal Jews Orthodox Jews Black Protestants Liberal Catholics Orthodox Catholics Mainline Protestants Evangelical Protestants Party Division Line

20. How did this Happen? Realignment - coalitions are redefined - new cleavages emerge - transition (growth of independents) - emergence of third parties

21. Realignment

23. Forces behind it. Strategic Forces - Party McGovern’s nomination (1972) demonstrated the Democratic Party’s programmatic commitment to modernist and secular positions on cultural issues such as abortion, freedom of expression, women’s rights, and gay rights.

24. Forces behind it. - Activists Traditionalist forces in the Republican Party and Secularist-Modernist forces in the Democratic Party were becoming more influential in each party. The increasing number of delegates of each of these groups and their activism are affecting the outcomes of the nomination process. These actors are making cultural issues more prominence in the parties’ platforms

25. What are the effects? 1)Some Catholics became Independents. 2)Most Blacks became Democrats. 3)Protestantism became Divided. 4)Parties have a coherent coalitions that are polarized on cultural issues.

26. Culture and Class Stonecash and Brewer- 2006 Class and Culture in American Politics

27. Culture and Class Stonecash and Brewer believe that cultural and class issues are both relevant in understanding each party’s coalition.

28. Culture and Class Culture Issues (social): the understanding that the individual has of the moral order. Class Issues (economic): interests of the class that the individual belongs.

29. Elite Polarization Morris Fiorina- 2004 Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America

30. Elite Polarization Morris Fiorina- 2004 Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America

31. Elite Polarization 1)Polarization is only taking place at the elite level not at the mass. 2)Polarization also occurs among individuals in the extremes. 3)Moderates remain moderates, are not been drawn to any side.

32. Elite Polarization

33. Polarization of the Public

34. Tomorrow Panel on the effects of Polarization. Who is winning?