Digbysblog brings attention to a pair of surveys developed by the American National Election Survey asking peoples feelings regarding inter-partisan marriages. The results are unsurprisingly polarized:
A pair of surveys asked Americans a more concrete question: in 1960, whether they would be “displeased” if their child married someone outside their political party, and, in 2010, would be “upset” if their child married someone of the other party. In 1960, about 5 percent of Americans expressed a negative reaction to party intermarriage; in 2010, about 40 percent did (Republicans about 50 percent, Democrats about 30 percent).
A note of caution: This party animosity is not historically new, just new to last several decades. At least partisans today are not brawling with and killing one another, as was true in the 19th century. But something seems to have changed since the less polarized era of the mid-20th century.
Something seems to have changed! What could possibly be more partisan and polarizing nowadays that could have driven such a cultural wedge?
… Political scientists have long established that most Americans cannot reliably identify which specific policies each party supports, that people adopt party loyalties quite early in life, and that most stick to those loyalties whatever happens.
Americans’ party polarization cannot be that much about the issues.The authors point instead to the intensification of media attacks in the last few decades.
That seems about right.
Seems a little silly to me to worry about my children marrying people of a different political party. Most people aren’t hardline partisans and tend to have a wide-range of varying, ever-evolving beliefs. (If you had a son who married, say, Ann Coulter, that could be entirely irritating; But most people aren’t super-partisan banshees). People usually seek out partners based on shared personal beliefs and generally compatibility. And the main concern as a parent should be whether or not their partner is a good person who loves and respects them. Just because a person shares your same political party affiliation doesn’t that person won’t be a sociopathic asshole.
But these issues do matter to a lot of people and a lot of families go out of their way to reinforce maintaining cohesive political affiliations. What do you think, would you be ok with your child marrying into a different political party?
