Polarization is a problem. For many years, Republicans and Democrats have accused the opposing party of being against America and seeking to destroy the fabric of our republic, and both have made it publicly clear that they want the other gone. 

There seems to be no comradery. When Republicans turns on CNN, they feel alienated by the left-leaning biases of anchors talking about any number of issues. For years, the sentiment has been said by both the Libertarians and Republicans that the “fake news media” seeks to tear down the Republicans while propping up Democrats. Similarly, when a Democrat flips their TV on to Fox News, they feel the same way, but differently from other Republicans in that they would describe any conservative media outlet as being indoctrinated or scripted. 

It’s because of this simple reality that the idea that Americans today are united couldn’t be harder to grasp. To make matters worse, the Pew Research Center found that 65% of Americans “always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics.”

To make this statistic feel more real, take any issue that a Republican politician could speak about, and 10 times out of 10, a member of the opposing party will shut down the argument for the sake of advancing their party’s platform and agenda. But why? Is it because Democrats and Republicans have opted to attack each other in the public square to gain favor with constituents? Does either party actually care about fostering holistic debate and finding common ground? 

The argument could be made that this golden age of our republic is gone and has been for some time. Former President Ronald Reagan used to get drinks with former Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. I, for one, have never expected President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris to grab a beer with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson or Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. However, when we elect our leaders into office, it’s their job to accomplish goals and get wins through legislation. But what we tend to get is sharp-tongued politicians on media outlets calling out members of the other side and everyone gets hit by shrapnel because of it. If a Republican goes on Newsmax and criticizes a Biden administration policy, voters cut themselves down the middle on the basis of political affiliation and the other side preps their response. Around and around we go, and it has been for too long. 

By all means, there will never be a space where Republicans and most Democrats can all come and agree on every issue. However, there is a space where they can agree to disagree. That place is called Capitol Hill.

This is exemplified in a recent segment on Brett Baier’s “Special Report,” where the anchor hosted Democratic Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania and Republican Sen. Katie Britt from Alabama. The two senators went live on air to discuss bipartisan efforts to protect children and teenagers who use social media and are negatively affected by it. Viewers likely would not have expected to see both senators sit down and agree on an issue, but what viewers did witness fills Americans with a lot of hope. Britt said on the segment, “I think John and I both believe that if you share a common goal, you have a duty to the people you serve to get in a room and figure out a pathway forward.” 

This is precisely the type of rhetoric that we must hear more of coming from our elected leaders. When voters go to the polls in November or any future election, one of the most important issues that they should debate before they tow the party line is whether or not their pick can be trusted to advance policies that promote the goodwill of America and its citizens. 

One tactic I’m using for this upcoming election is analyzing the people who are on the ballot for me in my home state of Arizona and asking myself if I think that any individual candidate would be someone that I’d have a healthy conversation with over dinner, or if I’d have to carry the conversation. Your gut feeling about someone is your greatest asset, and you should utilize and listen to it. If a senator or representative seems stiff on camera, or if you pick up that there’s something “off” about them, what you see is likely what their colleagues in the halls of Congress get. 

But until the election is over, don’t expect conditions to get better. At the end of the day, a Republican or Democrat will be president next year. A Republican or Democrat majority will take their places in the Senate and the House, and life moves on. But, the most important thing we can focus on until the fireworks of the election are over is trusting our conscience, analyzing politicians for what they say and not who they are or what they align with and remembering that we’re all neighbors. For example, a Democrat could be your family’s financial advisor. Also, a Republican could own your local grocery store. Characterizing people doesn’t work and has several flaws. We need to remember this and instead realize that because we have the ability to change, our “Golden Age” can resume once again. 

Michael Duke, GSB ’26, is a business administration major from Scottsdale, Ariz.