Why are we so polarized?
In our core book-- Why We're Polarized, the superbly researched and timely New York Times bestseller--, Washington post journalist, Ezra Klein, explains how “The American political system—from voters to journalists to the president—is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face-- but how this collection of functional parts combine into a dysfunctional whole.”
He describes and analyzes the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction, and offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture.
in our core book, he explains:
1) How America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity.
2) How and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another.
3) How, over the past fifty years, in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together, and,
4) Finally he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis, and what we might be able to do about it.
Much of his analysis is counter intuitive and eye-opening.
“A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” (The New York Times Book Review),
Join us as we explore and discuss the ideas in this revelatory, well documented book, eye-opening book that may change how we look at politics, polarization and ourselves.
About the author of our core book
Ezra Klein was a columnist and editor at The Washington Post, a policy analyst at MSNBC, contributor to Bloomberg. and is the editor-at-large and cofounder of Vox, the award-winning explanatory news organization,
Some Reviewers Comments about our core book
“compelling. . . Powerful [and] intelligent.” —Fareed Zakaria, CNN
". . A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis.” —Norman Ornstein, New York Times Book Review
"Superbly researched and written . . . outstanding " —Francis Fukuyama, The Washington Post
"Brilliant and wide-ranging. Absolutely crucial." —Chris Hayes, host of “All In with Chris Hayes” on MSNBC and author of A Colony in a Nation
“Klein’s careful book explains how different groups of Americans can see politics through such different lenses,—Dan Hopkins, Washington Post
“Eye-opening . . . brilliant"—O Magazine
“A fascinating book, rich in politics, history, psychology and more.” —David Leonhardt, New York Times
“Well worth reading.” —Andrew Sullivan, New York magazine.
"For anyone concerned about how polarized we have become—and why—this book is for you." —Andrew Yang, author of The War on Normal People
"Klein writes captivatingly well. Reading Why we’re Polarized is like having a conversation with a brilliant, extremely persuasive friend who has read everything and who is armed with scores of studies that he’s able to distill into accessible bites." —Amy Chua, Foreign Affairs
"thoughtful exploration of American politics, Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of Good and Mad
."..clearest and most comprehensive analysis… Klein’s writing is so good that it is a joy to read,” —Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University—
“A sharp explanation of how American politics has become so discordant . . . Deeply insightful . . . A clear, useful guide through the current chaotic political landscape.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“ timely, thought-provoking precise and persuasive—Publishers Weekly
"It's been a long time since I learned so much from one book" —Rutger Bregman, author of Utopia for Realist
Week 1 Introduction What Didn't Happen
Chapter1 How Democrats Became Liberals and Republicans Became Conservatives
"The New Party Bosses: How did our once-raucous party system become the pacified purview of elites?" by Eric Foner The Nation June 1, 2021
Week 2 Chapter 2 The Dixiecrat Dilemma
" Why Ezra Klein Is Polarized" by Kevin D. Williamson, Commentary March 2020
"Today’s Political Polarization Isn’t as Striking as We Think" Jonah Goldberg National Review March 9, 2017
" White Progressives Are Polarizing America" by David French, National Review Feb. 19, 2019
Week 3 Chapter 3 Your Brain on Groups
Chapter 4 The Press Secretary in Your Mind
Week 4 Chapter 5 The Demographic threat
Interlude
Chapter 6 The Media Divide Beyond Left-Right
Week 5 Chapters 7 Post-Persuasion Elections
Chapter 8 When Bipartisanship Becomes Irrational
Week 6 Chapter 9 The Difference between Democrats and Republicans
Chapter 10 Managing Polarization and Ourselves
Week 7 Summary and Conclusion
"Post-1968 U.S. History: Neo-Consensus History for the Age of Polarization" by Bruce Schulman Reviews in American History Sept 2019
or
The Story of American Freedom, Chapter 13 by Eric Foner W. W. Norton & Company 1998
Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein
Publisher : Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster; (January 28, 2020) and other editions