Political polarization at the local level

Many agree the American public is polarized nationally. However, polarization can be just as invasive within local governments. Understanding if there are occurrences of polarization in local government is essential to understanding how the American public has divided. This division in party goals could be a difference of worldview, stemming from different driving factors for each party. This paper analyzes the popular political themes spoken about using George Lakoff's Political Family Models by examining school board meetings in a content analysis. Through identifying motivating goals of both parties, this paper examines the rate conservatives and liberals speak about issues that align with their party ideals versus the ideals of the opposing party. For example, the liberal focuses on empathy and conservative focuses on respecting authority. The results show differences in the rates conservatives and liberals spoke about their respective party goals, demonstrating division in priorities between the parties. Understanding the current dynamic of polarization in the United States is important as the country continues in political turmoil.