Library of Resources

Ezra Klein delves into the history of the United States and finds that post-civil war politics constituted an artificial peace in which popular passions did not adequately get represented by the mainstream political parties.​

• Stephen Metcalf, NY: "Darwinian reading of American politics leaves little room for the motivations of conscious, rational agents" (The New Yorker).

Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about others? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and provides a way forward to mutual understanding.​

• William Saletan, TX: "Haidt argues that people are fundamentally intuitive, not rational. If you want to persuade others, you have to appeal to their sentiments." (The New York Times).

Political polarization in America is at an all-time high, and the conflict has moved beyond disagreements about matters of policy. Today, polarization rooted in social identity. The campaign and election of Donald Trump laid bare this fact of the American electorate, its successful rhetoric of “us versus them” tapping into a powerful current of anger and resentment.​

• Ezra Klein, CA: "This is the kind of research that will change not just how you think about the world but how you think about yourself" (U Chicago Press).

With increasing polarization among political elites, Facebook communication uniquely facilitates psychological polarization. The Facebook features and the norms of how people use the site heighten awareness of political identity, bias the inferences people make about others' political views, and foster stereotyped evaluations of the political out-group.

• Diana Mutz, CA: "Easily the most comprehensive, theory-driven examination of social media and political polarization to date" (Cambridge).