Causes of Polarization
Dietram Scheufele, a professor and director of graduate studies for Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison, believes some of the reasons the general public is becoming so partisan is people’s increased ability to live among those similar to themselves.
“It’s not a new phenomenon,” Scheufele says. “Research has shown since the ‘70s and ‘80s that we all select into residential ghettos or highly homophilic communities. We live and work and hang out with people who are like us.”
The temptation to live with those who share similar beliefs could explain what is happening in Waukesha. Many, including Best, moved there from Milwaukee to escape to a more politically conservative area. But more factors are in play.
Pas blames the emergence of conservative talk radio after the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, which required broadcasters to present issues of public importance in a manner that was honest, equitable and balanced.
“Talk radio has taken what used to be civil sparring and has turned our political disparity really up. There aren’t many institutions that have had such a negative effect on our politics as political message radio.”
According to Keith Poole, professor emeritus of political science at the University of California San Diego, new conservative media such as talk radio has only exaggerated our problems by bringing the opinions of a few to the forefront of the national conversation.
“Economic issues like taxation and trade policy are mixed in with social issues like abortion, gay marriage and contraception,” says Poole. “That’s made things worse. If you were just talking about economics you could make compromises, which would slowly cool off the system. With social issues mixed in with economics, it’s very difficult to resolve those, since they can’t be resolved. They’re zero sum.”
Photo by: Sam Easton
Scheufele also studies the evolution of public communication. “There is not a lot of cross fertilization of ideas,” he says. “The problem with polarization is that we no longer talk to each other but we talk to our respective communities who already think like us. An issue will light up on the left or right, but never between the two.”
It’s difficult to talk, or influence, those who already stand on the other side of the aisle. But these political difficulties often extend past politics, affecting the person voicing the viewpoint.
Effects on Policy and Public Life
Pas looks at his cup as he thinks. When he speaks, he does so slowly. He is reserved, but mentions he feels bitter toward Republicans, he says, for not doing more when the banking crisis led to recession. “Waukesha County took a huge hit in terms of real estate, small businesses, retirement accounts. There were a surprisingly high number of personal and business closures, a kind we haven’t seen for decades.”
Yet, sitting in the warehouse behind the Victory Center, Best says the Republican-dominated government in Waukesha has helped these people by keeping debt low, not raising taxes and maintaining services that are required.
Pas argues the Republican Party’s “no way will it happen” stance has greatly damaged the future of the Midwest. He says, “There are many civic projects that stalled because of the Republicans. But if not for a hard right media-driven opposition to 21st century transportation, Waukesha County would be situated for prosperity over the next 50 years by being on a train line linking the two biggest metropolitan areas in the Midwest.”
Whether to use the $810 million that Wisconsin received from the federal government on a high speed rail line linking Milwaukee to Madison, the first step in linking Chicago to the Twin Cities by train, became a defining issue for gubernatorial candidates Republican Scott Walker and Democrat Tom Barrett.
Upon Walker’s election in 2010, he sent the money back to the federal government, which promptly awarded the funds to other states for high-speed trains. Walker’s reasoning: the rail line stood as a symbol of excessive government spending. He did not want to burden taxpayers by putting $7.5 million a year toward operating costs, despite the Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation $6.5 billion budget.
Perhaps Republicans won the high-speed rail battle, but both sides will say it’s not about winning and losing. It’s about doing what’s best for everybody. Unfortunately, everyone can’t agree on what exactly that is, while a quality discussion on the topic is difficult to start.
