A conversation with Professor Alan I. Abramowitz about how political polarization arose in the US, and in fact, is increasingly stronger. Partisan alignment grew out of the breakup of the old New Deal coalition; it introduced the most important difference between our current political era and past eras. The rise of “negative partisanship”, explains how this phenomenon paved the way for the Trump presidency; and how our polarization could even grow deeper. Racial resentment is by far a better predictor of support for Donald Trump than any other factor, including economic discontent.
Guest: Alan I. Abramowitz is Alben W. Barkley Professor of Political Science at Emory University. His latest book is The Great Alignment: Race, Party Transformation, and the Rise of Donald Trump.
