Middle ground – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

Overconfidence about their political knowledge is common among Americans. FXQuadro/iStock/Getty Images Plus

September 2, 2022

Americans think they know a lot about politics – and it’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong in their confidence

Ian Anson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. That overconfidence can thwart democratic politics.

A sign in a yard listing many virtues – an example of virtue signaling. davelogan/iStock via Getty images

August 29, 2022

Why virtue signaling isn’t the same as virtue – it actually furthers the partisan divide

Christopher Beem, Penn State

Virtue signaling is designed to communicate specifically to one partisan tribe and to affirm its moral superiority. A scholar of ethics and politics explains why that is unwelcome in a divided US.

When people who are split on abortion speak directly with each other, various good outcomes – including policy change – can happen. Vector Illustration

August 11, 2022

There’s reason for people on opposing sides of abortion to talk, even if they disagree – it helps build respect, understanding and can lead to policy change

Kate W. Isaacs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

When ideological enemies talk across their great divides, something good can happen – it reduces stereotypes and inflammatory language directed at people who don’t agree on the abortion rights issue.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump supporters, like these two, are more likely to be polarized by TV news than online echo chambers. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

August 10, 2022

Don’t be too quick to blame social media for America’s polarization – cable news has a bigger effect, study finds

Homa Hosseinmardi, University of Pennsylvania

Studies of online echo chambers don’t paint the full picture of Americans’ political segregation. New research shows that the problem is more Fox News Channel and MSNBC than Facebook and Twitter.

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