ABSTRACT
It has been commonplace over the last five years to say that the United States is “more divided than ever.” The seeming truth of this statement is reflected not just in its repetition but also in the amount of media attention given to the fault lines found in American society. These divisions appear to be both widespread and intractable, so much so that the Associated Press has devoted an entire page on its website to examining “Divided America”:
It’s no longer just Republican vs. Democrat, or liberal vs. conservative. It’s the 1 percent vs. the 99 percent, rural vs. urban, white men against the world. Climate doubters clash with believers. Bathrooms have become battlefields, borders are battle lines. Sex and race, faith and ethnicity… the melting pot seems to be boiling over. (Associated Press)
