Description

Nearly half of the world’s human population has the right to vote in 2024 – a testament to the spread of democracies in just the last couple of centuries and the progress marginalized groups within democratic nations have made in just the last couple of centuries. And yet surveys across many countries show that political polarization – the divergence of political attitudes away from the center and toward ideological extremes – is on the rise. 

When polarization becomes toxic it often leads to political violence and greatly hampers the ability of societies to address critical issues. Worsening environmental and social crises like climate change, resource constraints, and economic inequality can both exacerbate political polarization and literally make the stakes a life or death proposition. 

This Deep Dive will:

• Explore why societies become polarized, unpack the dangers of polarization and the ways it tears societies apart, and trace the causes and history of polarization in the U.S. 
• Address common drivers and dynamics of polarization across the globe, and ways that “political entrepreneurs” feed or combat toxic polarization. 
• Highlight concrete examples of community and society-wide approaches to reverse the spread of polarization and create meaningful dialogue, engagement, and collaboration across differences.
• Provide opportunities to share and learn from peers also concerned with how to survive, if not reverse, polarization in our own communities
• Share a set of curated resources for further study and to take meaningful action in your own life. 

Image via Unsplash