Political polarization has been on the rise since the 1970′s, as congressional Democrats and Republicans have moved away from the ideological center according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center.
In the months prior to the 2020 election, the Pew Research Center found that, “roughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values.”
USC students are not motivated by the elections and political pressures that drive the most extreme behavior and positions among politicians.
Bob Shrum, the director at the USC Center for the Political Future, found that, with the exception of one class immediately after the 2016 election, students at USC are more likely to have respectful debate than one might find on the national stage.
“At the end of the day, we’re all students. For the majority of the people in our clubs, they don’t want to pursue politics after college and they just want to have friends and talk about politics,” said Sara Steinecker, president of the Trojan Democrats and a junior majoring in Political Science
Despite not seeing a direct increase on campus, political groups at USC agreed that national trends in polarization have had ripple effects.
Stienecker said that her organization as well as young Democrat organizations across the nation have seen increased membership since the election of Donald Trump and particularly since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
She acknowledged however that the increased national polarization could also be intimidating to people she spoke to, who opted not to affiliate with a particular party as a result.
“It’s two sides of the coin, where some people are turned away from politics because of the polarization, but at the same time, a lot of people are more interested in politics because the polarization is caused by such consequential issues,” said Steinecker.
Vernon Norman, a 2023 USC MBA graduate who works with the Los Angeles County Young Republicans, highlighted that with increased polarization has also come changes in the language used to discuss political issues.
“Look at a press conference by Pramila Jayapal and go look at one by Kevin McCarthy and see the difference in communication, what’s communicated, and the way the issues are presented. I would challenge you to look at that and then ask yourself how did we get to the point where the way we talk about issues is so different,” said Norman.
One of the most visible areas of impact of national polarization on campus is in the political debates hosted each semester by the Political Union and Political Assembly.
Political Union Communications Director, Duncan Law, pointed to national polarization and political trends as a cause of what he perceived as less productive debates.
“The past few debates I’ve noticed have been less of debates and more of each side just getting at what they want to say,” said Law.
He also cited national candidates’ efforts to produce viral moments as a cause for the appearance of one liners at on-campus debates.
Despite the ripple effects of polarization on campus, across political groups, individuals pointed to the conditions on campuses as being effective tools towards thawing polarization nationally as much as they are vulnerable.
Professor Thomas Hollihan, who teaches a class on campaign communication, emphasized that the transition to college can actually result in less politically informed students as civics classes are no longer required for students.
Norman and Law both highlighted the importance of personal communication toward bridging political divides.
“It’s just listening honestly, it doesn’t matter who the person is or what they identify as politically or otherwise. You just listen and as long as I do that rather than lecture, I’ve never had a problem connecting with anyone,” said Norman.
And despite acknowledging that on campus debates could at times be heated, Steinecker emphasized their continued value for students.
“I really hope they leave with a sense of understanding and education about both sides of the issue, even if they want to join neither of the clubs afterward,” Steinecker said.