ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the future of campaigns and elections in a polarized environment from three perspectives: how to understand the electorate, how to inform the electorate, and how to engage the electorate. The polarization of American politics has characterized campaigns and elections for over a decade. Polarization in the United States is not limited to political elites and elected officials. Not only are there policy differences between Democrats and Republicans, but there are also substantial demographic differences in the makeup of the two political parties. A study by the Pew Research Center concluded that "the two parties look less alike today than at any point over the last quarter-century." The greatest gap between the two parties is with African-Americans; there is an 80-point difference between African-Americans who identify with the Democratic Party (87%) and those who identify with the Republican Party (7%).
