n the mid-twentieth century, the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States were nearly impossible to tell apart from each other. In 2014, 27% of Democrats saw the Republican Party as a threat to the nation’s well-being, while 36% of Republicans viewed the Democratic Party in the same light (Pew Research, 2014). And in 2022, that situation has only worsened. Political polarization occurs when members of Political polarization occurs when members of a political party begin to shift their views towards their respective political extremes, oftentimes creating a significant wedge between themselves and the opposing party.
