ABSTRACT
With the nation's politics seemingly divided, scholars have spent considerable effort trying to discover sources of intensifying polarization. An ongoing controversy persists about whether elites are foisting extreme choices on moderate Americans or whether these elites simply respond to American voters who are sorting into parties that reflect ideological preferences. Paul Quirk posits a new way to think about the dynamic. He argues that highly engaged mass constituencies in both parties are pushing politicians to take extreme positions, while moderate voters remain passive. The result is what he calls “polarized populism”—a process in which elites feel compelled to respond to a disproportionately influential mass of voters who see legislative compromise and pragmatic politics as selling out. The dynamic is abetted by new media technology that makes it easier for engaged citizens to acquire information about politics and act on it (see Chapter 7). Quirk's ideas are conceptual and formed through a critical analysis of existing studies. The chapter illustrates the importance of re-conceptualizing research before collecting new evidence as a way to guide future empirical work. His analysis raises important questions about what it means to be a “model citizen” and points to institutional reforms that may increase the participation of less extreme voters in the political process.
