Tonight on WNED-TV, Frontline will air the final segment of its two-part documentary: “America’s Great Divide: From Obama to Trump.” The series focuses on the nation’s increasingly bitter, divided and toxic politics. It’s a familiar theme for UB’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Doctor James Campbell. In 2016, he addressed the topic at the beginning of the Trump Presidency with his book, “Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America.”
WBFO’s Jay Moran reports.
UB’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science Dr. James Campbell discusses his book “Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America.”
“We’ve been having very, very polarized elections now for some time, but they’re getting more so,”Campbell said.
“And we know the American public has become more polarized. It’s partly events and it’s partly the parties now. The people have chosen up sides.”
When it comes to the impeachment of President Trump, Campbell understands why Speaker Nancy Pelosi was originally reluctant to start the process. While many Democrats were hungry for impeachment, Campbell believes Pelosi also understood the need to play to the center where voters were more ambivalent about impeachment.
Many Americans are avoiding political discussions, feeling that it’s better to remain silent than to engage in unwinnable arguments. Emotions may be running higher, but to Campbell’s perspective the wide divide between parties is nothing new.
“I think polarization in American politics is more natural than unpolarized politics.”
Yes, things were different in the post-Word War Two era, Campbell notes. A majority of Americans came to an understanding that larger matters–the Depression, fighting wars across the globe–took precedence over parochial issues. He cites a study from the 1950’s by the American Political Science Association.
“The complaint back then was that the parties were too muddled, that they were too moderate. They didn’t present a clear choice. “
In the middle of the 20th century, the Republican Party was nearly nonexistent in the southern United States. As that began to change in the sixties, the ferocity of political opinions began to change. Party leaders, Campbell argues, shouldn’t be blamed for fueling that evolution.
“I think they’re responding to where the votes are,” Campbell said.
“You have a much larger body of the electorate who are calling themselves conservatives and a fairly large group that call themselves liberals and they want to be represented by political leaders that reflect their views.”
Research shows that conservatives have felt they have been losing on most issues in recent times. In Donald Trump, voters found a “fighter” who could “win” for them, Campbell maintains. That’s reflected in the favorability ratings among Republicans. Even if Trump were to lose the White House in November, polarization is likely to continue.
“But I think there are perhaps remedies to the dysfunctional aspects of polarization. And that is the lack of civility, the unwillingness to compromise with the other side, ” Campbell said.
“I think we have to work on creating a new civics in our educational system, in our broadcasting that emphasizes discussion across sides that doesn’t demonize each other.”
Instead, discussions should focus on ideas and how to find common ground. It should be accepted that liberals and conservatives are not going to be able to transform the other side.
Campbell encourages voters to try to understand “why we think as we do about it (politics) and, maybe, see the other side. If we see the other side, maybe we can find a way to work things out.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
