This past election cycle highlighted extreme political tribalism and polarization in America. Both political parties stoked these flames and zeroed in on negative rhetoric. Republicans fired up their base with exaggerated culture war rhetoric, while Democrats stoked fears with claims of fascism and tyranny. Not surprisingly, a Gallup Poll found that 80% of U.S. adults believe Americans are greatly divided on important values.
This divide is evident on college campuses like Tulane University. A 2021 Generational Lab/Axios poll found that nearly one-third of college students who identify as Republican would not go on a date with a Democrat, and more than two-thirds of Democratic students would not do so with a Republican. Our campus is no different.
Throughout my time here, I’ve noticed the stark partisan lines dividing much of the student body, and the contempt each side feels for the other. Students feel pressured to sort themselves into one of the two political boxes and to reject those in the other box. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of reinforcing our beliefs within our own echo chambers, Tulane students should reject polarization and seek to build bridges between both parties.
To understand how to fix this deep-seated problem, we first need to consider what’s causing it. Primarily, society has conflated politics with values. If Tulane students thought about what we want for future generations, I would expect the answers to be mostly consistent and less political. Most people want a quality education, good healthcare and economic opportunity. If we focused on our similarities, political debate would be less divisive. Political discourse should be focused on common goals rather than dismissing people with contrary positions as uneducated, misinformed or hateful.
A second related problem is that too much political debate takes place online. It’s much easier to vilify people online than to speak in person and try to understand where they are coming from. Although many Tulane students were in middle school back then, some may remember a 2017 Heineken ad that featured men and women with diametrically opposed beliefs talking out their differences over a cold one.
Although this advertisement’s goal was to sell beer, it revealed something extraordinary: When people develop common ground before they talk about politics, they are more tolerant of each other’s viewpoints. I think this model could work on college campuses. If Republican and Democratic students worked together on community service or collaborative projects and learned to respect each other first, perhaps they would be more willing to sit down, whether at The Boot or PJs, and try to understand others’ viewpoints.
This theory is also supported by more rigorous social science research than a beer ad. A study by Peter T. Coleman found a number of effective ways to reduce political divisions and encourage bridge-building. In that study, the most successful methods of bridge-building are community-based and action-oriented. In other words, activities such as volunteering in a group are highly effective because they bring people together, giving them a common goal that can override their differences. The same is true of other activities like playing on a sports team with people who have different views. Once we realize that people are more than the sum of their political views, it is easier to find commonalities instead of focusing on differences.
Political tribalism is a visceral phenomenon and difficult to escape. Sweeping rhetoric about culture war issues is more entertaining and emotionally satisfying than a respectful debate on fiscal policy. However, as students, we should think critically about all perspectives. We can’t do that by simply digging our partisan trenches deeper and tuning out opposing views.
