As the political environment in the United States becomes more divisive and contentious with every election cycle, political commentators and scholars become more convinced that the root of the problem is polarization. But although party polarization may be occurring, it does not paint the full picture, and viewing modern politics through only the lens of polarization limits our understanding of the trends in American political society and their effects. This thesis argues that politics in the United States has moved beyond polarization and is becoming increasingly factionalized and fragmented. The three chapters of this thesis each discuss a different facet of American politics and how they have become increasingly fragmented. The first chapter discusses social media and the internet, and their effects on social capital in the US. The second chapter looks at political parties and the changing dynamic between factions and parties. Finally, the third chapter focuses on the fragmentation of the news media, and in particular the emergence of digital media outlets. While each chapter addresses a distinct aspect of American political society, they also represent three of the most important ways people engage and interact with politics in the US, and as this thesis shows, all three are becoming more divided, segregated, and factionalized, while also themselves contributing to the fragmentation evident throughout the political system and the country.
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Beyond Polarization: Fragmentation, Cyberbalkanization, and the Politics of Factions
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