Ending Polarization

John Gastil, Dan M. Kahan, and Donald Braman in Boston Review

The critics of the culture-war thesis correctly characterize the mindset of the vast majority of American citizens. People are relatively tolerant of (and largely uninterested in) the moral opinions of their neighbors; material well-being is their main focus. Where the culture-war critics are wrong, however, is in their assumption that because economic well-being matters more to Americans than imposing their values, culture must be irrelevant to mass political opinion. Even citizens who care only about prosperity and security still have to figure out how to vote. As our research suggests, cultural affinity proves a powerful guide to such citizens.