Coming Apart at the Seams

The American public is acutely aware of just how polarized the country has become. (Gallup)

A new Gallup poll: 80% of Americans believe the nation is greatly divided on key values, a record high.

• Only 18% currently think the country is united.

• In 2016, 77% saw the nation as divided, 10 percentage points higher than in 2004 and 2012.

• In the aftermath of 9/11, more than two-thirds of Americans felt the country was united.

Related: A Gallup study identified widening partisan divides on a host of key issues between the years 2003 and 2023.

• Government: In two decades, Republicans became 50 points more likely to think the federal government has too much power.

• Climate: Democrats are now 30 points more likely than Republicans to believe humans are the chief cause of global warming.

• Immigration: The gap between Democrats and Republicans on whether immigration should be decreased has grown to 29 points, with Republicans more likely to support cutting immigration levels.

• Abortion: Democrats are now 30 points more likely to say abortion should be legal in all circumstances.

• Law enforcement: Republicans are 15 points more likely to say they have a great deal of confidence in police.

On the other hand: An AP-NORC poll from March found there are some core areas of agreement between Americans of all stripes.

Big picture: We’re living in an age of mass distrust of major institutions, elevated political polarization and declining confidence that the American dream is still possible.

Bubba’s Two Cents

The ever-deepening divide on issues like immigration, climate and the role of government suggests we’re no longer debating tweaks to a shared vision—these are fundamentally opposing ideologies. It looks like there’s still a consensus on basic rights like free speech and equal protection, but is that enough to heal the rift?