Divided Politics, Nation

Drawing on his personal story of growing up as a fundamentalist Christian on a dairy farm in rural Ohio, then as an academic in the heart of the liberal East Coast establishment, Darrell West analyses the economic, cultural, and political aspects of polarization. Americans are caught in a partisan hyperconflict that divides politicians, communities, and even families. Darrell M. West, who grew up in a conservative, rural Ohio community, went on to teach in the liberal Ivy League and spent years working in the heart of the Washington, D.C., establishment. In this book he draws on that personal history to explore the political, economic, and cultural aspects of this polarization. West's conversations over the past 40 years with friends, colleagues, and family members form the heart of Divided Politics, Divided Nation, providing a unique perspective from which to understand the heated nature of U.S. politics—and how we reached our current boiling point. Societal tensions have metastasized into a dangerous tribalism that seriously threatens American democracy. This polarization has become so intense that many people no longer trust anyone who espouses a different view. Politicians from the president to state and local officeholders have stoked and often inflamed the situation. Few are doing anything to stem the resulting inferno that has swept through American politics, society, and culture. Unless Americans can overcome these divisions it will be impossible, West argues, to work together and maintain a functioning democracy. In Divided Politics, Divided Nation, he explains how we might bridge our divisions: by enacting political and economic reforms, improving news coverage, and persuading people to listen to each other's viewpoints. These are the only ways to calm our anger, forge a new path forward, and deal with twentyfirst-century challenges. Why are Americans so angry with each other?The United States is caught in a partisan hyperconflict that divides politicians, communities—and even families. Politicians from the president to state and local office-holders play to strongly-held beliefs and sometimes even pour fuel on the resulting inferno. This polarization has become so intense that many people no longer trust anyone from a differing perspective.Drawing on his personal story of growing up as a fundamentalist Christian on a dairy farm in rural Ohio, then as an academic in the heart of the liberal East Coast establishment, Darrell West analyzes the economic, cultural, and political aspects of polarization. He takes advantage of his experiences inside both conservative and liberal camps to explain the views of each side and offer insights into why each is angry with the other.West argues that societal tensions have metastasized into a dangerous tribalism that seriously threatens U.S. democracy. Unless people can bridge these divisions and forge a new path forward, it will be impossible to work together, maintain a functioning democracy, and solve the country's pressing policy problems.