By Paul A. Djupe A hundred years ago in the 1980s, Alex P. Keaton was the Wall Street-worshipping, Republican child of reformed hippies on the sitcom Family Ties. Played by Michael J. Fox, Alex was a mystery to his parents – where did he come from? But the 1980s were a different time, when partisan…
Tag: polarization
Denisonians Are Divided over Economics, Politics, and the US Itself
By Max Dehon Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders offer unique critiques of the United States from their ends of the political spectrum. President Trump emboldens the idea of capitalism at the core of the United States, whereas Bernie Sanders is a self-proclaimed socialist. How do Denison students feel about these economic models and how…
Partisan Polarization on Campus Too?
By Paul A. Djupe A defining feature of American politics is the deep animosity partisans have for those of the other party. They don’t like each other, they won’t date each other, and they’d be unhappy if their offspring married someone with another party affiliation. Recent research, however, questions some of these findings, suggesting that…
Party or Survivor? How party affiliation affects attitudes toward women and survivor support
By Elena Meth I, like much of the country, spent the better part of the week of September 4, 2018 huddled in front of various screens, watching a man who had been multiply accused of sexual assault be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States. A year prior, America was caught up in…
Do Denisonians Value Democracy Over Party?
By Eizo Lang-Ezekiel The death of democracy does not always occur with a coup d’état or a revolution. Instead, it often decays one small step at a time, with gradual norm breaking by politicians while people stay passive or even supportive.[1] Democracy has weakened in many countries, such as in Turkey, Hungary and Brazil, but…
Democrats and Republicans Disagree About A Lot More Than Just Trump
By Oliver Gladfelter Because Denison is a residential campus, we spend the vast majority of four years in close proximity to one another, creating an abundance of opportunities to develop relationships that will provide support, cultivate learning, and promote growth. Yet relationships do not always entail admiration and fondness – some that we learn and…
Advice For Holiday Harmony: Debate, Denison Style
By Eric Buehler and Paul A. Djupe Winter break is upon us and with it the risk of political debate with relatives, be it your uncle, who is convinced the government is trying to take his guns, or your vegan cousin, who insists on the curative properties of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. We’re aware of this…
