Polar(ized) Opposites: A Nation Divided by Politics, Geography, and Demographics

No sentient American could be surprised to read that our political landscape is deeply polarized. But less understood, bordering on shocking, is just how wide—and wide-ranging—the physical divide has become. Far beyond the ideological differences between our two major parties and their followers, we are increasingly separated by geography and demographics.

True, our recent national elections have tended to be relatively tight and are much closer now than in prior centuries (though in recent days the 2020 Presidential race seems to be heading for a blowout). But as a country, we’re much more divided by where we live. Voters today are increasingly likely to be surrounded primarily by like-minded electorates—not just in the virtual worlds of social media, but in the physical world of actual neighborhoods and communities.

The vast majority of counties now are either solidly red or blue, with a rare few staking a middle “purple” ground. This is especially true for Republicans, who account for the overwhelming share of the most partisan counties. The two major parties are also divided by demographics, with Democrats tending to reside in larger, more affluent, more diverse counties compared to the much smaller, less affluent, whiter Republican counties. And all of these tendencies have been intensifying in recent decades.

No wonder our representatives in Washington find so little common ground: their voters come from different worlds—or at least much different places with sharply diverging demographic profiles.

In this report I revised and expand the analysis of the political landscape I published in July. You may read the new version here.