Political Tribalism in America

The democratic ideal demands that the citizenry think critically about matters of public import. Yet many Democrats and Republicans in the United States have fallen short of that standard because political tribalism motivates them to acquire, perceive and evaluate political information in a biased manner. The result is an electorate that is more extreme, hostile and willing to reject unfavorable democratic outcomes.

In this work, the author provides a host of actionable strategies that are designed to reduce the influence of political tribalism in our lives. The text includes instructions for plumbing the depths of political views; evaluating sources of political information; engaging in difficult political conversations; appraising political data; and assessing political arguments. The first of its kind, this how-to guide is a must-read for partisans who want to become more critical political thinkers.

Timothy J. Redmond received his Ph.D. in political science from the University at Buffalo. He is an award-winning educator and author of over one hundred articles on critical thinking and politics.

Timothy J. Redmond

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 243
Bibliographic Info: 34 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8310-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4696-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments viii
Preface 1
Part I: Political Identities
1. The Nature of Political Tribalism 10
Part II: Political Opinions
2. Placing Party Before Policy 34
Part III: Political Information
3. Acquiring Political Information 56
4. Perceiving Political Information 76
5. Evaluating Political Information 99
6. Evaluating False Political Information 103
7. Evaluating Political Numbers 120
8. Evaluating Political Arguments 147
9. Evaluating Political Elections 168
Conclusion: Keeping the Republic 181
Chapter Notes 189
Bibliography 211
Index 227