Polarization on Steroids: The Psychological Roots of America’s Political Divide
Americans have always sorted themselves into like-minded political groups. But the political divide between left (liberal) and right (conservative) may be starker today than it has been for over 100 years in the United States. Holy Trinity member Dan McAdams will explore how research psychologists have aimed to understand this growing divide, urging us each to examine how their ideas may apply to our own lives as citizens. He will also ask us to consider ways in which we may bridge the gap, while also posing challenging questions regarding the extent to which we really want to do so. For many of us Americans, finally, our political sentiments are intimately tied to our religious faith. Is that a good thing? And what does that relationship – between politics and faith – feel like?
Dan P. McAdams is the Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University. He is the author of The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By and The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning.