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Populism and Polarity in America

2024 Election Follow-up   10/8/24
 

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Populism and Polarity in America

The Rise and Fall of 20th Century Civility
Why
Civility Declined while Animosity and Polarity Increased

Adolph Ochs bought the NYT in 1898.
He responded to his many Yellow Journalism competitors with

"All The News That's Fit To Print."
Result was more congenial media for about 60 years.

 Index

1. Did Supreme Court Cause the Fall?
2. Has Political Control Affected Civility?
3. Did the Federal Policy Contribute?
4. The Telecommunication Act of 1986
5. Citizens United v. FEC
6. Sports Trash Talking Went Public
7. Banning Earmarks in 2011
8. Anxiety Caused Populism

 

1. Did Supreme Court Increase Polarity?
Court Allowed State Redistricting Plans, Schools Integration/busing/housing, Abortion
Trouble began when federal efforts went
beyond stopping Jim Crow laws.

State Management Differs With Single Party Control
This is problematic because in most states the minority party has about 40% of voters support.
This is especially true when state primaries have success to a single winner.
Increasing Cavil Rights, Abortion, and Gun Control began the movement of
conservatives into the Republican Party and liberal into the Democratic Party.

2. Has Political Control Affected Civility?
Political Parties Began to polarize
when FDR kept control
of the Democratic Party by excluded many poor southerners from New Deal.
Northern Democrats
began catering to blacks.
LBJ sealed the change
with the 1966 Civil Rights Act.
Roe v. Wade a
dded fuel to the fire.
South
became Republican, Coasts became Democratic.
Reagan
sealed the breach and political polarity intensified.

 

 

State Management Differs With Single Party Control

This is problematic because in most states,
the minority party has about 40% of voters support.

 

   

 

3. Did the Federal Policy Contribute?

The 1987 Communication Industry Fairness Doctrine was eliminated.
Radio Stations were no longer required to present contrasting views.
Rush Limbaugh, who had popularized conservative talk radio, now had fewer restrictions.
Talk Radio and Identity Politics
Flourished.
Conservative and Liberal Polarization Proliferate

4. Telecommunications Act of 1996
allowed multi-station company ownership and national network developed.
As of 2011, Clear Channel Communications

 (now 
iHeart Media owned over 800 US radio stations
and
  Rush Limbaugh wealth eventually climbed to $400 million.
[3] 

5. Citizens United v. FEC 
Allowed Increased Political Contributions
Campaign funding increased and sponsorship diversified,
 which supported both intended and unintended
Fake News.

6. Sports Trash Talking Went Public
Mohamed Ali practically invented this 1960's genre
 as a boastfully Cassius Clay.
Athlete had been formal, cordial, and boring.
Ali changed everything with his elite out-of-ring bantering
 which was only rivaled by his in-ring dominance.

Larry Bird
and others soon followed.

7. Banning Earmarks in 2011
increased polarization as political cooperating to
 “bring home the bacon” ended.