Economic inequality and polarization
‘conflict entrepreneurs’ who build their profiles by intentionally amplifying divisions and fuelling animosity. Hence, the trajectory of American politics since Reagan demonstrates how rising inequality can transform partisan competition into entrenched polarization. By contrast, the Swedish case suggests that societies with narrower income gaps are more resilient to such divisions, offering an important lesson for the U.S. Some scholars contend that cultural issues such as abortion, immigration and civil rights are arguably the primary sources of political polarization, as they are often grounded in moral and identity-based values that leave little room for a middle ground. However, such divisions can be traced back to underlying economic disparities. The civil rights movement in the U.S. is evidence of this interconnection: decades of segregation entrenched structural barriers for African Americans in housing, employment and education. The impact of segregation can still be felt in the 21st century, as persistent economic inequalities generated from the injustice of the past continue to shape political conflicts, reinforcing the idea of economic inequality being a key player in the further polarization of American politics. In conclusion, in the 21st century, economic inequality has clearly played a major role in shaping political polarization. It has widened class divisions, weakened the middle class, and made it harder for parties to compromise. The U.S. shows how rising inequality fuels anger and mistrust, while Sweden shows how lower inequality can reduce divisions and promote bipartisanship in politics. Although cultural issues such as abortion or civil rights do contribute to further polarization, their impact is relatively minor in the face of economic inequality. Ultimately, tackling economic inequality is not just a matter of fairness but an important step towards restoring stability and trust in modern democracies. Reference list Brown, M. (2025) Urban League declares ‘state of emergency’ for US civil rights . Available at: https://apnews.com/article/urban-league-civil-rights-emergency-trump- 74b79d4dba14a37d487f0504feb066cc DeSilver, D. (2022). The polarization in today’s Congress has roots that go back decades . [online] Pew Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short- reads/2022/03/10/the-polarization-in-todays-congress-has -roots-that-go-back-decades/ Gu, Y. and Wang, Z. (2021). Income inequality and global political polarization: The economic origin of political polarization in the world. Journal of Chinese Political Science , [online] 27(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-021-09772-1 Inman, P. (2025). Rising inequality is turning US into an autocratic state, billionaire warns . [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/02/rising-inequality-is-turning-us-into-an-au tocraticstate-billionaire-warns?utm_source=chatgpt.com Russell, A. (2024). Political Polarization is Not Unique to the U.S., but its Causes Are . Available at: https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/self-society/political-polarization-not-unique-us- itscauses-are
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