Polarized Lenses

In 2025, it can seem like the divides between Americans with different political, ethnic, and class identities have never been wider. It is not uncommon to hear pundits and politicians pointing to this polarization as the primary problem to be solved.

How did we get to this place of extremes? Are things as unprecedented as they often appear? This exhibit gathers analytical and explanatory writing about the history of polarization in American public life, and reconsiders some of the idealized stories we tell about national unity in the past.