From my list on understanding and defusing political polarization in America.
Why am I passionate about this?
Iâve been doing research on polarization for most of my career as an economist and have focused on affective polarization in US politics since 2015. As a behavioral economist, Iâm interested in how false and biased beliefs contribute to affective polarization. As a microeconomist Iâm also generally interested in economyânot âthe economy,â but the efficient use of resourcesâand affective polarization leads to a lot of wasted time and resources. This happens in politics at all levels, and in relationships of all typesâneighbors, colleagues, spouses, siblingsâas we all know from experience. So, Iâm hoping to try to understand this bias better and cut down on it where we can.
Daniel's book list on understanding and defusing political polarization in America
Why did Daniel love this book?
Preventing Polarization is, as the title implies, a guide for educators on how to reduce polarization in the next generation. So, itâs unlikely to lead to immediate progress with polarizationâbut who knows, maybe some adults in positions of power might take some lessons from it as well.
Anyway, I love the premise here as I do think that education is probably crucial for long-term progress with this difficult part of human nature. Just as we must teach our kids to be tolerant and kind toward those from different racial and religious backgrounds or are different from ourselves in any number of waysâwe must teach our kids to not be excessively effective polarized!
1 author picked Preventing Polarization as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Are you ready to break down conflict and build consensus on polarizing topics?
Ideally, education equips students to care about the world and helps them shape their futures. In an era that has become incredibly polarized, we can help our students learn how to come together despite differences.
Michelle Blanchet and Brian Deters show how all educators can equip our youth with skills to become active and engaged citizens. A one-off course on civics is not enough.
Preventing Polarization offers basic strategies that every teacher can use. You will create experiences to help students break down barriers through activities andâŚ