Examining Political Polarization. Chances, Challenges, and Future Trends in American Democracy (eBook)

Project Report from the year 2023 in the subject Politics - Region: USA, grade: 1,0, San Diego State University, course: Seminar Democracy in America, language: English, abstract: This paper will – after briefly defining "political polarization" and explaining typical characteristics of
polarized two-party systems – investigate which potential chances and challenges of polarization exist and whether
they improve policy outcomes in the American democracy or not. Subsequently, probable trends in polarization
levels for the future will be discussed before a brief conclusion follows.

The main characteristic of a polarized two-party system in democracies is that the opinions towards political issues and policies are divided along the lines of the opposing parties. The more pronounced the polarization is, the more hostile the relationship between those parties is. In highly polarized systems, the other party is no longer accepted as legitimate opponent but viewed as existential threat for the own beliefs and lifestyle, but also for the positive development of the entire country.

In this case, both parties question not only the political positions but also the moral and democratic legitimacy of each other. This characteristic is crucial to distinguish a mere two-party system that offers policy alternatives to the electorate from an excessively polarized two-party system that the political scientist Emilia Palonen describes as "totalising system, as it aims to dominate the existing systems of differences and identities."