No matter who wins the election, we’ll likely see toxic political polarization get worse, at least for a time. To avoid us tearing ourselves apart, we need more Americans to see that we’re caught in a feedback loop of conflict. Each group’s contempt and fear provoke contempt and fear from the “other side,” in a self-reinforcing cycle. Political scientist Lee Drutman refers to this as the “doom loop.”
This is a reading of a piece I wrote for my Defusing American Anger Substack: that piece is here. If you think these ideas are important, or if you’re skeptical and want to learn more, check out my books at www.american-anger.com.
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