It is obvious, at this time within the United States’ short history, that a deep rift has complicated and split the American public. Speaking publicly about politics often comes with being chastised or even disrespected. How and when did this divisiveness occur, and how must we address it?

Polarization Beyond Political Lines

Today, the deep hatred some citizens hold towards one another stems deeper than political affiliations; it is possible due to the rise of identity politics. Identity politics is the phenomenon in which political movements or leaders prioritize the interests of specific social groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion. These movements can sometimes challenge the existing power structures, advocate for equality, and address systemic injustices faced by marginalized communities through collective action and policy change. They can also spread massive amounts of hate towards other marginalized groups. The biggest “advocate” for identity politics within the United States would have to be Donald Trump. His MAGA movement happens to be the absolute definition of such.

With the rise in identity politics, it creates a sort of “Us vs. Them” mentality that is extremely detrimental to the health of a democracy. It creates a space in which citizens and government officials alike will do anything to win, including breaking the rules.

Identity politics fuels existing stereotypes and manipulates those who believe in them. This leads to polarization way beyond political lines; it leads to polarization based upon culture. This form of hatred is hard to destroy, and normally lasts for generations. This is the form of hatred and disrespect that is on the horizon for the United States if we are to not change our ways.

Emerging Political Movements

We are starting to see emerging populist movements throughout the United States that are fueling identity politics. Populism is often defined as a movement in which there is a strong emphasis on stopping “The Man”. Populist leaders often will try to ostracize the elites, and say their goal politically is to stop those in power from corrupting the good citizens of said country.

Currently, there are two emerging populist movements within the United States. The first emerging populist movement is that of the far left led by Bernie Sanders. His actions and plans include healthcare-for-all, free college, and wealth redistribution. Although never becoming a president like the aforementioned Donald Trump, Sanders’ campaigns in 2016 and 2020 gained a multitude of support, with his campaign being focused on social and economic grassroots reform. This movement does not use hate as its main form of “recruitment”. Sanders’ movement is significantly smaller, due to this sad fact. 

Secondly, the MAGA movement led by Donald Trump. Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States has created a movement that is led by identity politics and the thought that the democratic left is “evil elites” that are corrupting the hardworking citizens of this country. Trump has also taken the route of ostracizing those who do not support him. That includes immigrants, as well as certain political parties. This again, will fuel the stereotypes mentioned earlier, henceforth creating a country and place that is only welcome to small groups of people.

Although Trump and Sanders have two completely separate ideologies and forms of recruitment, these would both be considered populist leaders. They both have a “drain the swamp” attitude, that could or could not be right. Donald Trump is an extreme example on the right side of the spectrum, whilst Bernie is a moderate example on the left, in terms of populism.

The Path Forward

Ideally, a future path for Americans will support a unified state that commends political discourse, and supports legitimate opposition parties and positions. In order to reach this point, we must escape the populism trap set by Trump and Sanders. 

Although they both use forms of populism that are significantly different, they both use forms of ostracization that lead to polarization. Polarization can be detrimental to democracy. It can weaken the communities we live in and create a hatred towards one another that can truly lead to violence within a country. For an example, all we must do is take a short glance back to January 6th, 2021.

We must also engage in a constructive manner in order to truly benefit all citizens by: encouraging active listening, finding common ground, and committing to other democratic principles. Upholding democratic principles and ideals in this age of disinformation and polarization will strengthen our democracy and advance legislative issues. 

In summation, the path forward away from populism is through unification and collaborative political discourse. By extinguishing hate, and escaping the identity politics trap, we can reinforce our commitment to democracy.