The Plagues And Profits Of Polarization - 1587 Words

The Plagues and Profits of Polarization In 1796, in his Farewell Address, George Washington warned against the â€Å"party passions† that weaken public administration, afflict the community, promote animosity between different sectors, and as a result, render the American nation vulnerable to foreign invasion. Political polarization is most simply defined as the divide between Liberals and Conservatives or between Republicans and Democrats. According to measurements from DW-NOMINATE, a system that gives politicians a score based on how liberal or conservative they are, polarization has been rising steadily for the past four decades. The general consensus among scholars is that the United States has not heeded the first president’s warning;†¦show more content†¦His collected data show that Obama has seen much polarization throughout his two terms, but his predecessor, George W. Bush, also received a similar amount. This shows that the divide between voters ha s been increasing for at least over a decade . At times, rising polarization gives the impression that the American nation has disintegrated, but many political scientists argue that although our nation has its flaws, polarization is not the problem. Political scientist, Alan I. Abramowitz, is especially adamant about the manners in which polarization profits American democracy. He admits that polarization can lead to immature mudslinging, but presents this as a small downside to the important and essential benefits it provides. In his opinion, polarization can be a solution to legislative gridlock in congress. Polarization between different parties leads to â€Å"party discipline† within a party because it moves the moderates in a party further left or further right. Abramowitz claims that this can overcome procedures, such as the filibuster, that actually inhibit the law-making processes. Additionally he believes that polarization manifests party lines, making it less c omplicated for American citizens to associate with a specific side, which as a consequence, encourages them to vote and discuss their political views with others. Shaun Theriault adopts a similar view. He decries the name-calling andShow MoreRelatedDoes The Bad Outweigh The Good On The Internet?2164 Words   |  9 Pagesinclines to very popular article titles often sounding like â€Å"You won’t believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"..What happened next was unthinkable.†, or even exaggerations that can’t be connected to the actual content in the following works. False information seems to be a plague to the internet at this point, with 2016 appearing like the heaviest year of clickbait compared to them all. It used to be a trademark for lesser known authors but it is spreading to even the most verified news sites and creators. For example, I amRead MoreThe Severity and Extent of Environmental Scarcity in Pakistan3240 Words   |  13 PagesPakistan with some of the mos t fertile and best-irrigated land in the Indian subcontinent, and a majority of the population lives along its banks. Frequent, occasionally severe earthquakes occur in the northern and western regions, while flooding plagues the Indus valley after heavy rainfall. Agriculture is the nations principal occupation, employing half of the countrys population and accounting for 25 percent of its GNP. Wheat, cotton, rice, barley, sugarcane, maize, and fodder are the main cropsRead MoreThe Starbucks Brandscape and Consumers10413 Words   |  42 Pagesmore polished, bourgeois ambiance. Photographs and fieldnotes from the six coffee shops supplemented our interview texts. The names of the local coffee shops, their owners, employees, and patrons are pseudonyms. To avoid imposing local-global polarizations, participants were told that the study concerned their experiences and perceptions of coffee shops. Each interview session began with general questions about participants personal backgrounds, interests, and life goals and then focused uponRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagespartnership Cisco formed with a university in China. 6 CHAPTER 1 What Is Organizational Behavior? others and who are responsible for attaining goals in these organizations are managers (sometimes called administrators, especially in not-for-profit organizations). Management Functions In the early part of the twentieth century, French industrialist Henri Fayol wrote that all managers perform five management functions: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling.5 Today