America grows FURTHER apart: Gap widens between Republicans and Democrats on government power,...
As America heads into a contentious election year, pollsters have revealed how and are drifting ever further apart on everything from immigration to and guns. An analysis by polling group Gallup looked at two dozen frontline issues in politics and society and found that the partisan gaps in many of them had grown wider these past two decades. On hot button political issues such as abortion, climate change, education, and government power the gap between supporters of the two main parties has been the greatest, researchers found. 'Political polarization remains an enormously important part of the US political landscape,' Gallup said in its report. 'There are significant and in some instances, huge partisan differences today in views on all 24 issues included in this analysis.' The study showcases the stark reality of polarization ahead of an election that could be a rerun of the testy 2020 face-off between then-president Donald Trump, a Republican, and the Democratic challenger who beat him, current President Joe Biden. Gallup canvassed Americans' views over 20 years and the growing divide between the share of how many Republicans and Democrats supported policies on a range of issues. On immigration, in 2003, there was an 11-point difference in the percentage of Republicans and Democrats who said immigration should be decreased. By 2023, that gap had widened to 40 points. When it comes to climate change, Republicans have become less worried about it these past two decades, while Democrats have become significantly more alarmed. The gap between the two groups has widened to 55 points. Republicans were slightly less likely than Democrats to say that the federal government had too much power in 2003, in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. But now, nearly three-quarters of Republicans agree with that statement, compared to just 31 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, the share of Republicans who say abortion should be legal under any circumstance has stayed roughly level since 2003. The number of Democrats who hold that view has climbed from 32 percent to 59 percent. Back in 2003, Democrats and Republicans were held comparable views on immigration about half in each party said it should be reduced. Today, barely a fifth of Democrats want immigration cut, and Republicans have grown less welcoming to newcomers. That's resulted in a 40-point gap between them. Analysts have proposed many explanations for the deepening divisions in US society, including the rise of cable news and social media platforms that create 'echo chambers' that starve people of opposing views. Others point to everything from feisty rhetoric from political leaders to economic inequality, declining trust in institutions, the divide between rural and urban America, and the gerrymandering of political districts. Gallup researchers say voters have sorted themselves into supporting two main parties that have 'staked out widely differing positions' on the main issues in contemporary politics. 'Once a person has established their partisan leanings, the party's platform can in turn be a factor in reinforcing the individual's position on social and political issues,' the group said.