association of personal historians 2016 membership levels

“Ideological silos” are now common on both the left and right. Most of these intense partisans believe the opposing party’s policies “are so misguided that they threaten the nation’s well-being.” In each party, the share with a highly negative view of the opposing party has more than doubled since 1994. Partisan animosity has increased substantially over the same period. Today 92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, and 94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican As a result, ideological overlap between the two parties has diminished: Today, 92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, and 94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican.

And ideological thinking is now much more closely aligned with partisanship than in the past. The overall share of Americans who express consistently conservative or consistently liberal opinions has doubled over the past two decades from 10% to 21%.

And a new survey of 10,000 adults nationwide finds that these divisions are greatest among those who are the most engaged and active in the political process.

These trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life. Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades.

Association of personal historians 2016 membership levels