Partisan Divisions

 

The political divisions in the United States have intensified considerably in the last few decades. This is especially the case when one considers that there has been an increase in political partisanship based on the divisions in the country (Miller and Schofield 2008). One of the reasons behind this problem is that it has come to be based mainly on the manner through which individuals in society view the world. The latter has especially been the case when it comes to the advancement of the divisions between the Republicans and Democrats, with conservatives favoring the former while the liberals favor the latter. It is mainly because of these divisions that it has become impossible to unify the nation especially when it comes to addressing crucial matters.

The partisan divisions have led to considerable polarization, which can be categorized as being urban and rural in nature. The people in the urban areas have shown a tendency towards leaning to the left, which has made many of them seek to support the Democratic Party. Those in rural areas, on the other hand, tend to be more conservative and have come to focus most of their support towards the Republicans (Jacobson 2013). A consequence of this scenario has been that there has been the establishment of an environment within which it is quite difficult for the nation to be unified because of the actions of politicians from the major political parties. Republicans have moved towards the right while the Democrats have moved towards the left, with the result being that the supporters of the political parties have become more partisan than ever; creating a highly combative environment.

The campaign prior to election of President Trump and his subsequent presidency has enhanced the political divisions in the country. This is to such an extent that it has created an environment within which individuals in American society have ended up believing the lies that Trump has propagated, especially conspiracy theories ranging from foreigner being the driving force behind crime and unemployment to the declaration that the 2020 election was rigged (McCann 2020). This scenario has created significant divisions in society that are unlikely to be reconciled for a long time. It has further allowed for the advancement of white nationalism in a highly multicultural and multiethnic America, with the potential of conflict coming about between the various ethnic groups in the country.

Political Polls

 

The use of statistics has become one of the most significant aspects of the modern world. This is because it is used in a diversity of ways, including in making predictions concerning a different aspects of life including predicting human behavior. It is important to note that statistics are also used in the conduct of political polls, with the aim of determining the potential winner of elections or the support that different issues have within the public (Sabato and Yom-Tov 2020). It is noteworthy that because of this consideration, it becomes necessary to make sure that there is the promotion of a scenario where there is the use of accurate statistics.

Political polls have in recent years come to be viewed with suspicion because of the manner through which there have essentially been fewer results that have come out as predicted. This is the case with the 2016 presidential election, where despite Hillary Clinton having been predicted to win by a wide margin, Trump was able to beat her by not only winning a majority of states, but also winning the Electoral College (Campbell et al. 2017). The significance of this can be seen in the manner through which society has essentially lost its trust in polls, despite their continued use by most media outlets.

It is necessary to consider the manner through which statistics have come to play an important role in social issues. This is because of the fact that most humans find it quite difficult to take on a neutral ground on issues and instead are governed by their biases. A consequence of this scenario is that they end up creating an environment within which it becomes necessary to have statistics as a means of verifying the evidence that is present concerning a diversity of issues. Furthermore, it ensures that there is the establishment of a scenario where there is the efficient evaluation of evidence in order to establish facts.

Moreover, statistics can be used to ensure that there is the promotion of a valid argument. This can be seen through the way that individuals in society end up believing arguments that are backed up by statistics rather than pure statements (Depaepe and Simon 2009). This is especially the case in the academic community, where a significant number will often require that there is the presence of statistics in order for evidence to be verified. Furthermore, the presence of statistical evidence is crucial to advancing relevant arguments which can be verified and referenced for future purposes.

The American Electoral System

 

The current electoral system of the United States is one that is disproportionately favorable to the Republican Party. This is mainly because of the manner through which the system is one that essentially favors smaller states over larger ones with higher population numbers (West 2019). This is to such an extent that despite the Democratic candidates winning the popular vote in most elections, they do not often win the Electoral College vote because of the considerably lower votes that they get from the states that they win. It is pertinent to consider the manner through which the electoral system has essentially come to be rigged in favor of the Republicans over the Democrats over the years.

The original intention of the Electoral College was to ensure that smaller states were given an equal voice when it came to the selection of the president. This process is one that allowed them to ensure that they were not only able to advance their interests at par with larger states, but also allowed them to maintain a level of security for themselves within the Union through the maintenance of a balanced electoral system. However, the situation that was prevalent following the establishment of the United States has changed considerably and rather than promoting the interests of the majority of the population, the Electoral College has ended up essentially favoring one party, mainly the Republicans (Jacobson 2007).

The prevalent scenario is that it has created an environment within which even though a majority of the population may have voted for a certain candidate, he might not win the Electoral College vote (Schaller 2015). This scenario is one that has come to favor Republican candidates, as seen in the election of Donald Trump in 2016. The demographic changes in the country has seen more liberal individuals, who are mostly Democratic-leaning, being concentrated in cities and other urban areas while the more conservative, Republican-leaning individuals, who are actually a minority in the country, have become more powerful because of the considerable dominance of the party in mostly rural states.

There is the need to ensure that there is the institution of changes within the electoral system of the United States. This is to such an extent that it will allow for the establishment of a more proportional form of representation in a manner that ensures that presidents are voted for based on the popular vote. It is also necessary to consider the need to ensure the abolishment of the Electoral College, which has become a major hindrance to the effective attainment of the goal of a fair electoral system through not considering the demographic and social changes that have become prevalent in society.