Politics & Government
The Paradox of Pluralism
Quick fact
While the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s united African Americans and white allies around a shared demand for legal equality, later identity-based movements—like the women's and gay rights movements—have been linked by political scientists to both increasing legislative representation of marginalized groups and contributing to affective polarization, where citizens dislike those from opposing identity groups on average (see 'Lemieux, 2019').
Why this is interesting
You've seen it in headlines: a march for equality, a hashtag for justice. But sometimes the very voices that bring new people into politics also seem to push the public apart. How can the fight for recognition both empower and divide?