The Other Divide

Description

There is little doubt that increasing polarization over the last decade has transformed the American political landscape. In The Other Divide, Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan challenge the nature and extent of that polarization. They find that more than party, Americans are divided by involvement in politics. On one side is a group of Americans who are deeply involved in politics and very expressive about their political views; on the other side is a group much less involved in day-to-day political outcomes. While scholars and journalists have assumed that those who are most vocal about their political views are representative of America at large, they are in fact a relatively small group whose voices are amplified by the media. By considering the political differences between the deeply involved and the rest of the American public, Krupnikov and Ryan present a broader picture of the American electorate than the one that often appears in the news.

Yanna Krupnikov is Professor of Political Science at Stony Brook University. She is the co-author (with Samara Klar) of Independent Politics: How American Disdain for Parties Leads to Political Inaction, which has won three APSA section awards. Her research has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and the Hidden Brain podcast. John Barry Ryan is Associate Professor of Political Science at Stony Brook University. He is the co-author (with T.K. Ahn and Robert Huckfeldt) of Experts, Activists, and Democratic Politics: Are Electorates Self-Educating? His research has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and the Hidden Brain podcast.

'Scholars, pundits, and citizens spend an enormous amount of time trying to figure out why the political sides are so divided in contemporary American politics. In this provocative, path-breaking book, Krupnikov and Ryan offer a fundamental reorientation of what we know about polarization. They persuasively argue that the real divide in American politics is between the involved and the uninvolved. Moreover, the small number of involved citizens fundamentally differ from most Americans. This is true regarding their demographics, beliefs, levels of political polarization, parenting, how they express themselves, and how journalists cover them. These differences bisect the parties themselves. The book makes clear that involvement too is not a panacea for democracy, which requires all kinds of citizens and not just involved ones. This book sets the agenda for the next generation of work in American politics: do not dismiss or chastise the less engaged; instead, understand and value them.' James N. Druckman, Northwestern University 'Deeply researched and engagingly written, The Other Divide invites a paradigm shift. Partisan polarization may saturate the news, but Krupnikov and Ryan show that many Americans are not as polarized as popular narratives suggest. The loud and insistent voices that dominate the airwaves and social media networks-and that dominate journalists' accounts of American political life-do not represent the broad swaths of the public who care about politics, but whose lives are not defined by politics. The Other Divide is a must-read for all who care about the current and future state of political engagement in the U.S.' Regina G. Lawrence, University of Oregon 'Krupnikov and Ryan have written an excellent book with important real-world ramifications. Although the authors might not phrase it quite this way, they report detailed studies of the kind of people who are responsible for much of the pathology that characterizes contemporary American politics. I wish I could make the book required reading for political journalists and media commentators.' Morris Fiorina, Stanford University 'Krupnikov and Ryan provide a fascinating account of the differences between those of us who are deeply involved in politics and those of us who have some or little interest in political affairs. The deeply involved are the focus of much current work in political behavior, and most public debate as well. As these authors note, however, 'The deeply involved are different'. The deeply involved are both more outspoken and more amplified by media, but their priorities and beliefs differ from the majority of Americans. Krupnikov and Ryan consider the sources and consequences of deep involvement in politics. They also highlight the importance of considering the rest of us. In so doing, they offer a crucial corrective at what seems to be a pivotal moment in the study and conduct of American politics.' Stuart Soroka, University of California, Los Angeles