Partisan Polarization in U.S. Politics: Political Parties and the Policy Process

Partisan polarization between Republicans and Democrats among both elected officials and the public has been on the rise for decades in the U.S. This goes beyond disagreements about policy issues to a growing animosity and distrust of the other party. Political scientists have documented this rise in partisan polarization and identified some of its possible causes rooted in social identity, group conflict, media, and elections. They have documented some of the negative consequences of this phenomenon such as attacks on institutions and a sorting process among the public on policy issues. However, many of the major theories of the policy process such as the Multiple Streams Framework, Advocacy Coalition Framework, Narrative Policy Framework, and the Social Construction and Policy Design Framework are largely silent about the role of political parties. This paper discusses the causes and consequences of partisan polarization in the U.S., and prescribes how this concept can inform and help these theories of the policy process better understand the current political landscape in the U.S.