Question

Carl expressed frustration that people's opinions of him continued to move toward more negative extremes when he wasn't actively doing anything, which is an example of a .

a) polarization of attitudes
b) conflict spiral
c) hardening of positions
d) stalemate

Answer 1

Carl is experiencing 'polarization of attitudes,' a phenomenon where people's views become more extreme, contributing to greater political partisanship and conflict. This can result from voter attitude sorting, gerrymandering, and selective media exposure reinforcing such attitudes. The correct option is a) polarization of attitudes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The challenge Carl is expressing is known as polarization of attitudes, where people or groups divide between two extremes on an issue or a perception of an individual. In the context of American politics, polarization has led to intensified interparty conflict and more extreme political partisanship.

Contributing factors to this trend include a sorting of voting public attitudes, sophisticated gerrymandering, and the impact of technology such as self-selecting media outlets leading to a stronger endorsement of existing viewpoints through group polarization.