Is Political Polarization Good or Bad for American...

Thomas Mann of Brookings Institutions writes that, â€Å"in addition to the decline in competition, American politics today is characterized by a growing ideological polarization between the two major parties†. In addition to his opinion, political data has shown that political polarization is increasing and is more readily seen in the way the American government functions in the political sphere. In an article by the University of Rochester’s Campus Times they wrote â€Å"In 1950, the American Political Science Association’s Committee on Political Parties wrote a report called â€Å"Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System.† The report said that party leadership in Congress was far too lenient when it came to dissent within the party ranks, allowing members’ difference in positions to not be as important as they should. They said that in order for there to be a healthier democracy in the US, the country needed cohesive, top-down parties with cle ar agendas that can be carried out when in the majority. It also needed a cohesive minority party to criticize the majority party and act as an alternative.† While both the Campus Times and Thomas Mann suggest that polarization is somewhat necessary and is increasing, whether or not the necessity or increase is beneficial to American politics and government is debatable. In this paper, I argue that while polarization can be both unbeneficial and beneficial, for the most part is has proven to be unbeneficial for American politics and government.Show MoreRelatedDemocrats and Republicans in the US Congress are as ideologically consistent and distinct as they1500 Words   |  6 Pagesthe past few years. 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