When I was younger, I was taught never to discuss politics in social settings. At that time, speaking about politics could even be considered rude, however, in more recent years, I have noticed an increase in political discussions and hostility between party members.
Before the 2016 election, I didn’t really pay attention to policies or elections, but due to the rising polarization, I felt an increasing pressure to educate myself. I also observed that in the U.S., there is now no such thing as “avoiding politics.” I did my own research and formed my own opinions to participate in productive conversations.
As politics have become more polarized, people, such as myself, who generally avoided public affairs started to form political opinions. In today’s society, the culture of discussing politics has changed and it seems people are consuming more media than ever to inform themselves about policies and candidates.
In addition, conversing about politics has become more normalized, and with the upcoming 2024 election, it is important to inform ourselves and participate in civil interactions with those of opposing views.
Modern-day political conversations can either leave people feeling validated or hostile after a heated conversation about opposing views.
Along with more heated conversations, experts also worry about how differing political views could lead to violence.
Studies performed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Johns Hopkins University showed that “20 percent of Republicans and 13 percent of Democrats said political violence was warranted these days, while 25 percent of Republicans and 17 percent of Democrats said threats to opposing party officials were defensible.”
The polarization of politics has increased hostility between Democrats and Republicans. Political parties nowadays seem to align with character-defining values which contributes to the separation of parties. This extreme separation heavily affects undecided and independent voters.
UO sophomore and undecided voter Connor Jaffe elaborated on what it is like to feel pressured into aligning with a political party. He explained how he redirects political conversations away from his political views and to focus more on the specific topic of discussion.
“In some cases, if you have a conversation about politics, people kind of ask certain questions to get you to say that you’re more Democratic or more Republican,” Jaffe said. “I like to kind of deconstruct the question and ask them, kind of clarifying questions to see what they really want to know. Because most of the time they are just wondering whether you support a more Democratic approach or a more Republican approach.”
With the further polarization of political parties, people such as Jaffe will continue to be pressured to take a more solid stance.
“Choosing an independent is not really a possibility anymore. Representing both sides is not seen as acceptable,” Jaffe explained.
Hostility between Democrats and Republicans will discourage undecided people from voting since they feel overwhelmed by the violent discourse surrounding the election.
Policies and laws that are passed affect every single one of us, and we must research to educate ourselves and encourage others to do the same in a positive way.
Attacking people with opposing viewpoints will never solve any issues within the U.S. Elected officials need to stop capitalizing on this violent polarization, and we need more respect and communication between political parties to move forward and improve our country.
