URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2016_Melissa-McCarthy

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A divided nation Must Compromise

house divided against itself cannot stand,” Abraham Lincoln famously remarked in the run-up to the American Civil War. More than a

century later, Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz worries America has become more divided than ever. The associate professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island (URI) spends her days researching the polarization of America. She’s found no shortage of topics. From whom to install in the White House to immigration policy, Americans just cannot seem to agree. “It is not good for us to see each other as enemies,” Pearson-Merkowitz says. “That’s not healthy for democracy. When we see each other as threats, that’s what’s dangerous.” The political lines drawn during the 2016 election became so entrenched that some voters resorted to violence against opponents at campaign rallies. Hate crimes targeted toward immigrants and religious groups occurred from New York City to South Carolina. On campus, students confided to Pearson-Merkowitz that they felt so unwilling to compromise on their political positions that they lost friends during the bitter election. Pearson-Merkowitz’s research places the blame on a confluence of events. The rise of 24/7 news coverage and social media leave little room for politicians to retreat, compromise and find common ground. The constant messaging from political elites that party members stand with them or against them paints policy as black and white atmosphere, yet politicians might reconsider them. In research released this year, Pearson-Merkowitz found negative campaign advertisements failed to work. Positive ads better persuaded voters but only if the candidate also advertised more than his or her opponent. Pearson-Merkowitz’s research also found traditional attempts at fostering compromise sputter today. A long line of psychological research says people exposed to a different population typically grow more tolerant of that group. But a 2013 research project by Pearson-Merkowitz and colleagues found that those who identified strongly with a political party against same- sex marriage opposed it even if they reported homosexual friends or family. And in research published in 2016, she and her colleagues found that people who personally know Latinos are only more likely to support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants if they identify with a with moderating equivalent to heresy. Campaign attack ads fan the charged

written by Chris Barrett ‘08

Shanna Pearson- Merkowitz associate professor of political science

Fall | 2016 Page 5

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