Minimize Politics, Maximize Harmony Research shows that people have a strong dislike for discussing and hearing about politics, evident in the reluctance to engage with those who talk about politics. The growing polarization in the US is highlighted by the unhappiness people feel when considering their child marrying someone from the opposing party. However, when assured that the person from the opposing party will not discuss politics, there is a reduction in animosity and polarization. Studies suggest that it is not only different political views but excessive political discussions that lead to people unfriending others on social media. This distinction between caring about politics and talking excessively about politics is crucial in understanding the involvement divide. Transcript: Speaker 1 You know, I’m trying to be very nice, right? We were about to spend however long time talking about politics, right? But yes, our research kind of repeatedly pointed us to this really interesting place, which is people don’t like talking about politics. People don’t like others who talk about politics. To the extent that any survey question is actually famous, there is this kind of famous survey question about how happy or unhappy would you be if your child married somebody of the opposing Party. So one of the pieces of evidence for the growing polarization in the US is this idea that people would be much unhappier than they’ve ever been in the past if their child married somebody Of the opposing party. So what we do with this question is that we add kind of a caveat to it. We say, okay, how happy or unhappy would you be if your child married somebody of the opposing party, but they’re not going to talk about politics. They will never mention politics. And we see a weakening of this dislike of the other side. We see a weakening of this polarization, in part because we now promise people your dinners aren’t going to be this person from the other side talking about politics. But there is kind of even more evidence than just us. There’s research, for example, on why people unfriend others on social media that suggests, yes, certainly. It’s somebody who is posting things that you find kind of offensive and things you don’t like from the other side. But it might be somebody from your side who is just continuously posting things about politics. It’s this expression, that conversation that seems to sort of turn people off. People don’t want to hear about it. Speaker 2 So what’s important about that difference? That difference between caring about politics and talking a lot about politics? Speaker 1 To me, this is one of the most important things in the involvement divide. (Time 0:05:09)