I think the extreme polarization between the two parties that currently exists in the US is mostly a product of the media trying to boost ratings and sell ad space by creating dramatic stories . People are attracted to sensationalism , and journalistsnetworks play up on this to create environments of extremism and fear . It ' s much easier to give in to distrust , fear , and hate than it is to try to find common ground and things to appreciate about someone else , especially when you ' re culturally encouraged to do so . And , not to sound too much like a conspiracy theorist , but everyone knows it ' s easier to control groups who distrust each other than those who are united , so there ' s some amount of encouragement of the polarization happening by those who would wish to control the populace . Edit There ' s also the fact that most of the American public have been educated by a system that doesn ' t encourage critical thinking , so they ' re largely ignorant and more prone to believe what they hear from experts , pundits , or their trusty talk radio host .