A Polarized Nation 60 Years in the Making: How Inequality, Demographics, and Distrust have Divided the American People

Abstract

Throughout the past 60 years, the US has seen such drastic societal developments that the effects thereof have come to reflect themselves in a highly polarized society. The purpose of this thesis is to elucidate exactly what 60 years of developments in increasing inequality, changing demographics, and political and social distrust have meant for American society, how these developments have caused such a polarized nation and resulted in a populist insurgency, and why mending this American crisis is such a complicated task. The research design of this thesis employs mixed methods that combine the use of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and analytical procedures. We use qualitative research associated with an interpretive philosophy, as we seek to make sense of the subjective and socially constructed meanings expressed by the studied subject of the polarization of the American society. Our study is explanatory, as we emphasize studying the above mentioned phenomenon in order to explain the relationship between variables. This thesis’ collection of primary data has taken form through a series of semi-structured internet-mediated interviews with selected experts. Moreover, secondary empirical data has been collected in the form of scholarly books, journals, and articles from reputable authors. In the analysis of inequality, this thesis finds that decades of economic development have increased inequality in the US by policies in favor of globalized capitalism and neoliberalism. A society based on competition that ensures a distinction between winners and losers among its citizens. In the distribution of wealth and income, the top have seen only an increase, the bottom a decrease, and the middle a stagnation. Deunionization, automation, the educational system, and social heritage all contribute to economic inequality. Wages are suppressed, jobs become obsolete or outsourced, and the creation of new jobs are outpaced by that of job destruction. A momentarily stable yet fragile American economy continues on a fast track trade deficit and a dependency with foreign trade partners, as well as the country’s ability to withstand external factors such as climate change and future pandemics. Through the analysis of demographic change, this thesis denotes how the continuous flow of immigration has enriched the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and given rise to a less homogenous population. As a result, these changes have planted a fear in many white Americans which in turn has driven people to reconsider their political views. As the number of minorities increases in the US, this paper detects how political parties use voter suppression to minimize voter turnout among ethnic groups, and how these efforts contribute to further divide the nation. Consequently, this growing division has caused voters to cluster into communities where they live among others who share the same political and religious outlook as them. As for the analysis of the state of American democracy, this thesis finds that both political and social trust have been on a steep decline since around the 1970s. Escalating congressional partisanship, rising economic inequality, a system of one dollar, one vote, deliberate voter suppression efforts, a system that fails to reflect the popular vote, increasing political gridlock, a loss of trust in the media, accelerating levels of incivility among politicians, and increasing levels of affective polarization are all contributing factors to the deterioration of political and social trust. When trust within a nation withers, polarization flourishes. This thesis then reveals how these developments have created a political climate ripe for the entrance of a populist figure like Trump, who promises to prioritize the vast amount of voters who feel left behind by the neoliberal system, who feel that immigration is threatening the American way of life, and who no longer identify with an increasingly insulated elite. Finally, this thesis discusses how the future of the US looks rather disheartening if these developments continue on the same course, but has found that mitigating solutions are not impossible to find. Rather, this thesis argues, the actual implementation of said solutions is the trickier task – the political system and the deeply entrenched values and ways of American life poses a serious hindrance to simple solutions. Conclusively, this thesis proves that the severely polarized state of the US has been underway for decades, slowly but surely gaining strength beneath the surface of society. By retracing the steps of American politics and society about 60 years back in time, certain developments reveal themselves as indications of the forthcoming progression of polarization and populist insurgency.