The Republican Party's Decay Began Long Before Trump
A new book sheds light on the party's descent into polarization
In The Polarizers, Sam Rosenfeld details why bipartisanship was seen as a problem in the postwar period and how polarization was intentionally embraced by both parties.
The Republican Party's decay began long before Donald Trump took office. In their new book, The Polarizers, Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld paint unforgettable portraits of figures such as Martin Van Buren, whose embrace of partisan politics in the 1830s set the stage for the party's eventual descent into polarization.
Rosenfeld, an assistant professor of political science at Colgate University, argues that bipartisanship was seen as a problem in the postwar period, and that polarization was intentionally embraced by both parties. This shift, he writes, has had a devastating impact on American democracy.
"The Republican Party's embrace of polarization has been a long and deliberate process," Rosenfeld writes. "It is a story of how a party that once stood for moderation and compromise has become one of the most polarized in American history."
The Polarizers is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the roots of our current political crisis. It is a timely and important book that sheds light on the dark forces that are tearing our country apart.
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