In May, a survey put out by Pew Research Center found that 58% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans viewed the opposing party in a negative and unfavorable light. Additionally, 26% of Americans view both parties negatively. However, leaners continue to diverge from partisans in that they are far less likely to hold favorable views of the party they align with. About half of Democratic-leaning independents (52%) and 54% of Republican-leaning independents have a favorable view of their own party. It is human nature to disagree, and have different viewpoints on certain topics. The right and left-wing parties are supposed to disagree on certain issues, for example, immigration, taxes, abortion, regulation, foreign policy, government spending, and the role of the government as a whole. Democracy obviously includes arguments, so polarization between the parties is not, by itself, democratic erosion. Is contemporary American polarization merely a disagreement over policy, or is it increasingly a debate over who belongs and who counts as a legitimate political actor?

Democracy requires disagreement, but when does polarization turn to the extreme, and when does that become anti-pluralism? To look at this split between American citizens we must first look at pluralism versus antipluralism. The key distinction is that if this current topic was simply an example of pluralism we would see disagreements end in, “we have different viewpoints, but I feel you still have a legitimate place within the political system.” However, more often than not this is not the case. In many cases the other party and opposing viewpoints are written off in conversation these days, due to antipluralism and increasing political polarization. Many people will disagree and write the other off as not possessing a “legitimate” place in the political system. 

Backlash and polarization are two key factors of antipluralism and the erosion of civil democracy in America. “As our society becomes both more pluralistic and inclusive, at the same time we are witnessing an alarming increase in polarization and incivility, trends that are infecting our political and public life,”(CIRSD). We can see America undergoing a great deal of changes and we are seeing elements of backlash, especially in social and political settings. Polarization becomes democratically concerning when it moves beyond policy disagreement and toward identity-based hostility. According to the study from Pew Research Center, both parties refer to the other as too extreme and supportive of policies which “interfere too much in people’s lives.” An ideological divide is ever growing between people of opposing political parties, making perception of political opponents as being fundamentally incompatible with the political community. 

This divide is dangerous to democracy, a divided populace creates arguments that move into stalemates. It also creates tension between citizens and parties. ​​Anti pluralism attacks the idea that opponents are legitimate. Populism can have democratic elements, but when characteristics such as homogeneity, exclusivity, vilification of out-groups, and impatience with deliberation arise, that can then in turn create democratic problems.This is fundamentally different from “healthy” polarization between parties, such as disagreements over taxes or immigration. The problem emerges when disagreement sparks a struggle over which citizens are legitimate members of the political community.