Why We're Polarized
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2022
One of Bill Gates’s “5 books to read this summer,” this New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller shows us that America’s political system isn’t broken. The truth is scarier: it’s working exactly as designed. In this “superbly researched” (The Washington Post) and timely book, journalist Ezra Klein reveals how that system is polarizing us—and how we are polarizing it—with disastrous results.
“The American political system—which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president—is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.”
“A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” (The New York Times Book Review), Why We’re Polarized reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture.
America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics. Over the past fifty years in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together.
Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. And he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis.
“Well worth reading” (New York magazine), this is an “eye-opening” (O, The Oprah Magazine) book that will change how you look at politics—and perhaps at yourself.
One of Bill Gates’s “5 books to read this summer,” this New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller shows us that America’s political system isn’t broken. The truth is scarier: it’s working exactly as designed. In this “superbly researched” (The Washington Post) and timely book, journalist Ezra Klein reveals how that system is polarizing us—and how we are polarizing it—with disastrous results.
“The American political system—which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president—is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.”
“A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” (The New York Times Book Review), Why We’re Polarized reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture.
America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics. Over the past fifty years in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together.
Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. And he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis.
“Well worth reading” (New York magazine), this is an “eye-opening” (O, The Oprah Magazine) book that will change how you look at politics—and perhaps at yourself.
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Community Reviews
Ezra Klein’s Why We’re Polarized is an unflinching examination of the forces driving political division in America. At times, it is an incredibly bitter pill to swallow, offering a stark reminder that polarization is not the fault of one political party, ideology, or group—it's a collective problem. The book forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that we’ve all played a part in fostering and perpetuating this divide.
Klein delves deeply into how identities, media, and political institutions intersect to fuel our current polarization. He meticulously illustrates how the mechanisms of modern politics exploit our group loyalties and how the media environment amplifies division. Importantly, he highlights how both the left and the right contribute to this dynamic, making it clear that polarization isn’t just something happening to us—it’s something we’re allowing to happen.
A Call to Build Bridges
One of the book’s most poignant messages is the urgent need to bridge divides within our communities and depolarize not only our politics but also our day-to-day lives. This is no small task, and Klein doesn’t pretend otherwise. In fact, his exploration of the depth of polarization makes the idea of bridging these divides seem monumental—if not impossible. Yet, his argument is that we must try, not because it’s easy or comfortable, but because it’s necessary.
The idea of working together, building connections, and finding common ground feels deeply uncomfortable precisely because we are so polarized. Dislikes and distrust run deep on both sides. But Klein challenges us to sit with that discomfort and learn to humanize the “other side.” He encourages us to ask questions, listen, and practice empathy—not as a way to betray our morals or "go along to get along," but as a means of forging understanding and, perhaps, small steps toward compromise.
Hard but Hopeful
This is not a book that offers easy answers. Klein doesn’t present a simple roadmap to depolarization. Instead, he offers food for thought, challenging readers to reflect on their role in this polarized moment and to consider what they might do to change it. Building bridges isn’t about giving up on deeply held values—it’s about finding ways to connect and work together for the betterment of our communities.
The truth is, America wasn’t always this polarized. Klein reminds us of this fact, offering a glimmer of hope that one day, we might not be so polarized again. Is Why We’re Polarized the answer to this challenge? Probably not. But it’s a vital starting point—a thoughtful, well-researched examination of how we got here and what we might begin to do about it.
Conclusion
Why We’re Polarized is a difficult but necessary read for anyone seeking to understand the forces pulling us apart and how we might start to come together. Klein’s message is clear: change begins with each of us. The path forward won’t be easy, but perhaps the first step is to embrace a bit of discomfort, listen more, judge less, and take small steps toward building bridges. Even if this book doesn’t solve polarization, it serves as an invaluable challenge to do what we can, where we can, to make things a little better.
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