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List of contents
1. A House Divided Against Itself?; 2. Subtleties of Partisan Division; 3. Beyond Political Interest; 4. The Deeply Involved Are Different; 5. Bubbles of Involvement; 6. Perceptions of the Most Sacred Duty (co-authored with Michael Yontz); 7. A New Form of Self-Expression; 8. The Voice of which People?; 9. Middle Grove.
About the author
Yanna Krupnikov is Professor of Political Science at Stony Brook University. She is the co-author (with Samara Klar) of Independent Politics: How American Disdain for Parties Leads to Political Inaction, which has won three APSA section awards. Her research has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and the Hidden Brain podcast.John Barry Ryan is Associate Professor of Political Science at Stony Brook University. He is the co-author (with T.K. Ahn and Robert Huckfeldt) of Experts, Activists, and Democratic Politics: Are Electorates Self-Educating? His research has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and the Hidden Brain podcast.
Summary
There is little doubt that increasing polarization over the last decade has transformed the American political landscape. In The Other Divide, Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan challenge the nature and extent of that polarization. They find that more than party, Americans are divided by involvement in politics. On one side is a group of Americans who are deeply involved in politics and very expressive about their political views; on the other side is a group much less involved in day-to-day political outcomes. While scholars and journalists have assumed that those who are most vocal about their political views are representative of America at large, they are in fact a relatively small group whose voices are amplified by the media. By considering the political differences between the deeply involved and the rest of the American public, Krupnikov and Ryan present a broader picture of the American electorate than the one that often appears in the news.
Additional text
'Krupnikov and Ryan provide a fascinating account of the differences between those of us who are deeply involved in politics and those of us who have some or little interest in political affairs. The deeply involved are the focus of much current work in political behavior, and most public debate as well. As these authors note, however, 'The deeply involved are different'. The deeply involved are both more outspoken and more amplified by media, but their priorities and beliefs differ from the majority of Americans. Krupnikov and Ryan consider the sources and consequences of deep involvement in politics. They also highlight the importance of considering the rest of us. In so doing, they offer a crucial corrective at what seems to be a pivotal moment in the study and conduct of American politics.' Stuart Soroka, University of California, Los Angeles
