How Politics Has Pulled Country in Different Directions

“Surveys from Pew Research Center have found ‘ideological silos’ now common on both the left and right, and ‘consistently’ conservative and liberal Americans are more likely than ideologically mixed Americans to say it is important to them to live in a place where most people share their political views,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“In 2016, voters in … landslide counties accounted for 30% of all votes nationwide, up from about 4% in 1980. It was the first time that number surpassed the share of votes cast in closely contested counties (those within five points of the national vote). In 2020, the share from landslide counties grew to 35%.”