We’ve Seen This Before

How did we get so polarized? My perspective gained from a Politico interview of Jon Grinspan, author of The Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought To Fix Their Democracy, 1865-1915 (Bloomsbury, 2021). I haven’t read the book, but here’s my understanding. The period after the Civil War shared many features with our own: rapid demographic and technological change, high immigration, growing economic disparities, and racial and political violence. A pitched battle in 1874 temporarily overthrew the government of Louisiana. Presidents were fatally shot after the elections of 1880 and 1900.

By the mid-1900s, the U.S. settled into a degree of consensus on overall policies and decorum in sorting out the details. Members of Congress spoke of “my friend across the aisle” without irony. Politics joined sex and religion as private matters to avoid in casual conversation. This public civility came at a price. As passions eased, voter turnout fell sharply, especially among the poor and marginalized. Civility favors the status quo. 

Three takeaways stick with me​:

1. No political culture is perfect. There are always tradeoffs.
2. Strident political affiliation can offer a sense of identity. Hunger to belong increases as groups such as churches, unions, and bowling leagues decline.
3. As to the societal culture wars, politics reflects trends more than it shapes them. “The electoral system is good at putting people in power to pass or block legislation. It’s terrible at deciding what pronouns we should use or whatever,” Grinspan said. “It’s just not designed for what we’re asking it to do for us.

Image: President Grover Cleveland on the $1000 bill (discontinued). Elected in 1884 and 1892, Cleveland was the only previous president to serve two non-consecutive terms.