"Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines — and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive — than at any point in the last two decades." — Pew Research Center, 2014
The pattern shown is most often described by political scientists as which phenomenon?
- A
Convergence, in which the two parties move toward the ideological center
- B
Realignment, in which a single new majority party emerges
- C
Dealignment, in which voters are abandoning both parties for independents
- Dcheck_circle
Partisan polarization, in which the two parties have become more ideologically homogeneous and mutually hostile
Explanation
The growing partisan gap in approval ratings reflects polarization: parties have sorted ideologically (conservatives in the GOP, liberals in the Democratic Party) and views of presidents are increasingly driven by partisanship rather than performance.