We Are Not As Polarized As Pundits and Politicians Say

Among politicians, the bitterness reflects less political competition, especially in the House of Representatives. Democrats and Republicans increasingly have safe seats. In 2002, 83 percent of House incumbents won at least 60 percent of the vote; in 1992 only 66 percent of incumbents won with that margin. As a result, members speak more to their parties' "bases," which provide most electoral and financial support.

As for media and intellectual elites -- commentators, academics, columnists, professional advocates -- they're in an attention-grabbing competition. They need to establish themselves as brand names. For many, stridency is a strategy.

Beyond partisan divisions, Americans share many basic beliefs. What's more important is that the changes that have occurred -- generally outside politics -- signal more, not less, tolerance, as the Pew data show. In 1987, 48 percent thought it "all right for blacks and whites to date"; now 77 percent do. Something similar has occurred on homosexuality. By a 51 percent to 42 percent margin, Americans believed in 1987 that "school boards ought to have the right to fire teachers who are known homosexuals''; now that's rejected, 62 percent to 33 percent.

Today's polarization mainly divides the broad public from political, intellectual and media elites.