The Divides in American Political Culture

"Now it's time for America to bind the wounds of division, we have to get together"

President Trump says these words in his victory speech following his great, hard-won triumph over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Trump does indeed acknowledge the extreme divisions our country experienced during this election, no doubt about that. However, the real question is of whether America is, or ever was, capable of maintaining a consensual political culture. The election may have shed light onto the tremendous nationwide divisions, but, in truth, the split has always existed. "Partnership, not conflict", as Trump mentions in his speech, will be difficult, if not impossible, to fully accomplish as long as different opinions are formed.

One Nation, Slightly Divisible by David Brooks is an article of a type which we do not commonly see anymore. His writing, taking a completely different turn from political ideologies and views, instead lists his many observations gathered during a personal trip to what is deemed "Red America". Keri, my classmate, writes in a previous post that Brooks' article was biased, and that (from what I personally inferred) even some of his descriptions are an example of stereotypes, and therefore another reason for the conflictualism in America. Although I can understand the view that some of his phrases are very blunt and do not try to sugarcoat things, I do also think that this is actually where the charm of the article lies. It talks of the real America - real people and their real lives. Also, Brooks, being a Republican himself, is not wrongfully stereotyping the opposing side. In fact, I would even say that his observations, although very frank and direct, are actually quite objective. Some may take offense to his seemingly provocative words, but, as someone who has also visited these places, I can definitely understand his generalizations for the person he describes from each America. His writing does not embody a chart of statistics, nor a bland, cookie cutter set of beliefs. The reader gets to experience a visual of a real person, living in a real America. 

Strength of Political Parties in the U.S. (2014)

The figure of a religious, republican, family-man who graduated from high school to pursue a career on his farm in the midwest is but a generalization of what is viewed of a typical "Red" American. The same can be said for a wealthy business man rushing to work on Wall Street with a steaming Starbucks and whole-wheat bagel in his hand. These are just stereotypes, two polar opposites of the spectrum. One is not expected to fall under one of these categories specifically; in fact, many people find themselves falling in between the two. However, returning to the information in the article at hand, I could not help but notice how much truth rang in Brooks' words. Like my classmate, Norah, I had the opportunity this summer to take a roadtrip across America. After that experience, reading this article actually made me realize just how accurate his statements were. I am in no way implying that all "Red" or "Blue" Americans must fall under one of these stereotypes, but many parts of his article, even 16 years later, can be found true. For one, my family and friends could not believe the size of the Walmarts in states in the west. Each one was massive, and even had complete grocery store sections attached. Rural areas could stretch for miles, and when we did stumble upon a gas station on the side of the road, most of the time, it had a miniature casino attached to it. The people were noticeably less diverse, and churches of different religions could be found almost anywhere. Now, most of these observations could also be found in Brooks' article as well. On the other hand, the same could be said for Blue America. Would one ever expect to see a small shop on the side of the road in Connecticut, with a nice old man inside giving out free coffee and tea to visitors as well as some friendly direction tips? Probably not, as "Blue Staters" are usually dubbed as "colder", not as welcoming. As we returned to Connecticut, on a stop in Pennsylvania, we even joked about how the attitudes we received from employees in stores were no longer as warm as we had grown used to. Also, in a "Blue" area, you may not necessarily be seen in a Walmart, but a label promising only the top-quality, all-natural, organic, non-GMO, and probably also vegan products, such as Whole Foods, Stew Leonards, Panera Bread, or Starbucks. While they may seem like they do not relate to politics at all, the lifestyles led in different parts of America play a very significant role in American political culture. 

As children grow, their minds are molded to what they have been exposed to, the environment in which they have been raised. This eventually, at age 18, rubs off on their political ideologies and voting. A child with a strong father and mother relationship, as well as community that emphasizes the "ideal family" image is proven to be more likely to not support same-sex marriage. In the same way, one who spent his childhood without attending any church services may prove skeptical about intertwining religion into life, such as education. Something else I noticed about differences in political beliefs is the sometimes extreme differences that can occur within a state. For instance, while I heard some of my classmates argue for keeping confederate statues during a debate, someone else made a very valid point: our class had virtually no representation of people of different racial backgrounds. All of us identified as white. Wolcott, being a town of such minimal diversity, cannot possibly have the same political views as somewhere like New Britain, where I used to live before moving here in 8th grade. There, in a class of 14 at a private Catholic school, 2 girls were 100% polish, one was half polish, 5 students were Puerto Rican or Hispanic, and one boy was even a devout Muslim from Sudan. In another city, like in New Orleans, Louisiana (as said in the speech by Mayor Landrieu) where the 2010 U.S. Census found that African Americans occupy 60.2% of the population, perspectives may differ drastically.

Map Based on Population Density, Spreading Each Vote Out (2012)

 Different people, shaped by different experiences, see the seemingly same thing with strikingly different eyes. There is no discussion about the views and beliefs being conflicting in both of these situations. So while, for example, a middle-class, white male in small-town Wolcott may see something from one point, a financially struggling Hispanic man in New Britain may not agree. Even as little as 30 minutes away, political views vary greatly. The stereotypes shown in Brooks' article do not only apply to people from specifically Blue and Red states. Within states labeled a certain color, subcategories can always be found, whether they be narrowed down to counties, cities, or even individual families or people. 

In a country of the vast size of America, as well as the great disparity between status, location, wealth, education, opportunity, religion, origin, ethnicity, morals, ethics, and overall upbringing creates a range of political ideologies almost too innumerable to count. Heavily controversial topics such as healthcare, taxes, refugees, abortion, the death penalty, illegal immigrants, gun control, and countless more are hotly debated every day. Views differ to the point of finding little to no common ground. Avid supporters of no gun control recently, following the biggest mass shooting in U.S. history, were said to have considered a ban on bump stocks, a device used to make semi-automatic weapons automatic. However, they are already reconsidering their decision, and retreating from what may have been an attempt at compromise. Conflict between beliefs just keeps arising, and compromise seems out of reach.

The great variety of people in America also leads to a wide variety of ideologies. Due to this great, almost immeasurable amount of differences, a consensual political culture seems out of the question. As James Madison wrote in his famed The Federalist #10, "As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, difference opinions will be formed". The same truth can be applied to America's political culture. It is true that a great majority of Americans believe and trust in the primary elements of political culture, including personal liberty, equality, democracy, civic duty, popular consent, majority rule, popular sovereignty, individualism, as well as religious faith and freedom. However, their individual definitions of these words and phrases also have different meanings. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in her concession speech: "Fighting for what is right is worth it". I am sure many fiercely agree with this statement; however, almost nobody can agree on what is considered "right".

Discussion Questions:

• Does America really compromise a lot more than it is given credit for?
• Has the division in political culture increased, decreased, or stayed the same since the past?
• How, if even possible, can a consensual political culture be achieved?