Extremist Political Ideologies & Socio-Political Polarization in US (Essay Sample)

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Extremist political ideologies and socio-political polarization in the United States
Introduction
Socio-political polarization is the difference in political attitudes towards ideological extremes (Weber, et al 186). Political polarization is considered the sole cause of extreme divergence of views, which are often taken to personal levels. Among other factors that lead to socio-political polarization in the United States, the one that stands out is reliance on extreme political ideologies (Weber, et al 186). Extreme political ideologies in the United States have isolated each political party from one another over the years, and the relationship between them has significantly metamorphosed. The United States has had two major political parties for some time: The Democrats and the Republicans. The democrats are always consistently liberal, while the republicans are consistently conservative. Since the civil war, republicans and democrats have moved far right and far left, respectively, more than ever in recent times. Therefore, extremist political ideologists propagate socio-political polarisation as politics drive the significant aspects of survival, including the economy and social interaction.
In recent times, republicans and democrats have had extreme political beliefs that even affect the social life of US citizens. Due to political affiliation, some individuals have taken hatred on one another and would not like to be associated with policies of the other political party. Children born into a specific political side are raised to believe they should not associate with children of the other political party (Weber, et al 186). I believe that socio-political polarization is highly dependent on the extreme taking of sides and has influenced economic and social policies. Beliefs contained in one political party may receive an objection from the other political party, creating a massive rift between individuals in society. A perfect example is how the Trump administration handled the previous Obama policies and how the Biden administration is handling policies set by President Donald Trump.
How do extremist political ideologists lead to socio-political polarization?
In the first place, Republicans and Democrats strive for power in the United States. Since the establishment of ruling parties in the country, liberals and conservatives have had different policies and ways of thinking (Nechushtai, 183-201). Regarding economic policies, the liberals believe in increasing the minimum wage and ensuring that all people can afford their basic needs. For example, when the Biden administration assumed office, an economic stimulant was provided to all people to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The republicans believe that when money is increased in the pockets of individuals, they will be able to sustain their economic needs. When President Biden provided economic stimulants to all people across the country, most republicans criticized the move and warned of possible inflation. While the stimulant package was provided for both republicans and democrats, critics suggested that it only helped the wealthy in society.
Secondly, the democrats believe in expanding government healthcare services. When President Obama was in office in 2009, his administration provided government healthcare services and was against privatizing most healthcare sectors. Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare were the central healthcare policies suggested by the Democratic government (Weber, et al 186). The Republicans are more concerned with limiting government regulations in the healthcare sector and other economic activities. For example, when more government healthcare services were provided during the Obama administration, private healthcare sectors felt threatened by the action and termed the policy as unfriendly to businesses. Political ideologists on the extreme are, therefore, one of the factors that lead to economic division among citizens of the United States. The conservatives believe that the liberals are against economic freedom (Nechushtai, 183-201). In contrast, the liberals believe that the conservatives only care about the wealthy minority and leave out the poor majority, who government policies should cushion.
The conservatives or republicans also believe there should be low taxes on wealth to enable people to have an equitable wealth creation environment. For example, during the Trump administration, there were lower taxes on most businesses, enabling individuals to create more wealth. It is recorded that it was during the Trump administration that stock markets recorded higher profits and most business people prospered because there was little government involvement in private businesses (Weber, et al 186). The conservatives believe in economic freedom, which has become so extreme that people base their ideologies on political affiliation when they want to start a business. In the current American society, the first identification is political affiliation, and it determines whether one would be privileged by certain government provisions or not.
When it comes to social policies, extreme political ideologists have also separated their thoughts into either more lenient policies or more conservative policies. For example, the liberals believe there should be an expansion of the LGBTQ community rights, while the Republicans are more reluctant on these matters (Nechushtai, 183-201). When the Trump administration is compared to the Biden administration, the LGBTQ society has more rights in the Biden administration compared to during the Trump administration. The Trump administration failed to sign more laws that favor the LGBTQ society because the administration was more lenient on conservative measures in society. The action or lack of it created more divisions in society than before, and people felt more politically associated with social matters. The republicans also believe that there should be more immigration restrictions, and the policies have been unbearable for illegal immigrants. During the Trump administration, more illegal immigrants were deported, raising social and political issues. The democrats believe there should be pathways for citizenship for immigrants, which is evident with the current Biden administration.
Other social policies related to extreme political ideologies are the subject of abortion. The republicans believe in limited access to abortion, while the United States law has always provided the right to abortion. During the Trump administration, there was limited right to abortion compared to other presidents in the United States who served before him. The Trump administration took political ideologies to the extreme, and some of them led to a divided nation because some people believed their r