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Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition

by Lilliana Mason (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 238 ratings
The psychology behind political partisanship: “The kind of research that will change not just how you think about the world but how you think about yourself.” —Ezra Klein, Vox

Political polarization in America has moved beyond disagreements about matters of policy. For the first time in decades, research has shown that members of both parties hold strongly unfavorable views of their opponents. This is polarization rooted in social identity, and it is growing. The campaign and election of Donald Trump laid bare this fact of the American electorate, its successful rhetoric of “us versus them” tapping into a powerful current of anger and resentment.

With Uncivil Agreement, Lilliana Mason looks at the growing social gulf across racial, religious, and cultural lines, which have recently come to divide neatly between the two major political parties. She argues that group identifications have changed the way we think and feel about ourselves and our opponents. Even when Democrats and Republicans can agree on policy outcomes, they tend to view one other with distrust and to work for party victory over all else. Although the polarizing effects of social divisions have simplified our electoral choices and increased political engagement, they have not been a force that is, on balance, helpful for American democracy.

Bringing together theory from political science and social psychology, Uncivil Agreement clearly describes this increasingly “social” type of polarization, and adds much to our understanding of contemporary politics.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0226524689
  2. Edition
    Illustrated
  3. Publisher
    The University of Chicago Press
  4. Publication date
    April 16, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    2.3 MB
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  1. More often than not, citizens do not choose which party to support based on policy opinion; they alter their policy opinion according to which party they support.
    Highlighted by 385 Kindle readers
  2. The privileging of victory over the greater good is a natural outcome of even the most meaningless group label.
    Highlighted by 385 Kindle readers
  3. Motivated reasoning is the process by which individuals rationalize their choices in a way that is consistent with what they prefer to believe, rather than with what is actually true.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A must-read for anyone trying to understand the increasingly polarized nature of American politics. Mason offers a psychological identity-based explanation for today’s polarized politics, an explanation that provides insights both into its most important attitudinal and behavioral consequences, but also into possible approaches that could help move the American public a few steps back from the precipice.” -- Richard R. Lau, Rutgers University

“Sobering. . . . Mason argues that factors such as class, race, religion, gender, and sexuality used to cut across one another to a significant extent. . . . In the past decades, though, ‘partisan, ideological, religious, and racial identities have moved into strong alignment. . . . A single vote can now indicate a person’s partisan preference as well as his or her religion, race, ethnicity, gender, neighborhood and favorite grocery store.’” -- Yascha Mounk ― New Yorker

“Recent debates about partisan polarization have focused primarily on ideology and policy views. In Uncivil Agreement, social identity moves to the center of how to think about the differences that divide the country.”
  ― New Books Network

“The mutual disdain felt by Democrats and Republicans around the country has reached toxic levels, and it is having profound consequences for the quality of our policies, not just our politics. How did we get here? Mason’s brilliantly designed research and compelling writing reveal the most convincing explanation to date.” -- Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan

“Highly recommended. . . . In describing American politics today, Mason argues that partisan identity (Democrat or Republican) has become a 'mega-identity' because it increasingly combines a number of different identities. . . . And which party people belong to is important because there is some evidence that instead of people choosing their party affiliation based on their political views (and changing parties if their views are no longer represented by that party), they shift their views to align with their party identity." -- Perry Bacon Jr. ― 538

“One of the most important books this year . . . . This is the kind of research that will change not just how you think about the world but how you think about yourself.” -- Ezra Klein ― Vox

“Uncivil Agreement opens a window to a better understanding of the 'why' behind the polarization of contemporary American politics. This is a groundbreaking book, combining an interesting and important theoretical approach with strong empirical data, and it will have real impact.”­ -- David P. Redlawsk, University of Delaware

"Mason describes social polarization in the USA and its political parties, a sorting that generated distinct psychological and behavioural outcomes. Americans have sorted into politically partisan (party support, based on ideology and policy positions) groups and social (racial, religious, geographic, ideological) groups. Because of social sorting, greater polarization of both parties has occurred. This polarization has generated greater partisan prejudice, more political action and more emotionality (reactivity). Her book explains how a well-sorted set of partisan and social identities, a phenomenon beginning in the 1950s and well underway before Obama was elected, is uniquely capable of motivating three polarizations—more partisan, more action and more emotion." -- Eleanor D. Glor ― The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal

About the Author

Lilliana Mason is assistant professor in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07C13LC3N
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of Chicago Press; Illustrated edition (April 16, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 16, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 191 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 238 ratings

About the author

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Lilliana Mason

Lilliana Mason

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Lilliana Mason is an associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University and the SNF Agora Institute

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
238 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be an excellent scholarly work with top-notch data interpretation. They appreciate its readable content and consider it timely, with one customer noting it's particularly relevant in divided times. The book receives positive feedback for its pacing, with one customer describing it as provocative, and another highlighting its analysis of contemporary political polarization. However, the data presentation receives mixed reviews, with one customer finding it abysmal.

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11 customers mention "Evidence level"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the evidence level of the book, describing it as an excellent academic text with top-notch data interpretation.

"...The book is convincing in part because it makes intuitive sense (at least to me) but mostly because of the author's clever and careful empirical..." Read more

"...Her scholarship, statistical data, and data interpretation are topnotch. She shows the widening gap between Republicans and Democrats...." Read more

"Dr. Mason's book is not only approachable, but it is makes a compelling argument that we are driven by the proclivities of our identities -..." Read more

"Generally speaking, Mason's arguments make sense and are important...." Read more

9 customers mention "Readable content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the content of the book excellent, with one customer describing it as a highly readable research project.

"...The book is convincing in part because it makes intuitive sense (at least to me) but mostly because of the author's clever and careful empirical..." Read more

"...science, and that should go to tell you that this book is worth the read...." Read more

"...The author's style is formal but pretty readable...." Read more

"This is a highly readable research project to discern how and why the divide has deepened between Republicans and Democrats...." Read more

4 customers mention "Timeline"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book timely and important.

"...The book is timely because it can help to explain the high levels of political anger that we see around us...." Read more

"...Overall a provocative, timely and useful book. Probably only need to read the first chapter." Read more

"Important work in divided times..." Read more

"Excellent and important..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book interesting, with one describing it as provocative.

"...Overall a provocative, timely and useful book. Probably only need to read the first chapter." Read more

"...It's an academic book, but so clearly written that its interesting and enjoyable even if political science isn't your thing." Read more

"Interesting but repetetive..." Read more

3 customers mention "Political polarization"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate how the book addresses political polarization and extremism in American politics.

"This is a good analysis of partisanship in today's US. The author's style is formal but pretty readable...." Read more

"...social identities as drivers of anger, polarization and extremism in American politics...." Read more

"Fascinating look at the psychological underpinnings of contemporary political polarization...." Read more

4 customers mention "Data presentation"0 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed experiences with the data presentation in the book, with one customer finding it abysmal, while another mentions missing figures in the Kindle edition.

"...Her data presentation is abysmal...." Read more

"...I did have a problem seeing the charts and graphs on my iPad based Kindle reader, though I didn’t have a similar problem on my Android based phone..." Read more

"Charts missing in Kindle edition..." Read more

"The figures don't show up! Waste of money...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Arnold Kling
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timely and Convincing
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Uncivil Agreement addresses the topic of polarization from the perspective of political psychology. The author advances the view that social identity is more important than opinions on issues as a driver of political behavior in general and polarization in particular.

    The book is timely because it can help to explain the high levels of political anger that we see around us. The book is convincing in part because it makes intuitive sense (at least to me) but mostly because of the author's clever and careful empirical research. Even a skeptic should find her studies persuasive.

    We might naturally assume that our political selves are shaped by our interests and our views of policy. The alternative that Mason proposes is that our political selves are shaped by our sense of where we fit in socially.

    From this alternative perspective, the increase in polarization arises from the fact that people are becoming more certain of where they belong in the social sphere. Our social class structure has become more segregated. Fewer people cross the bridges between status groups defined by location, education level, wealth, race, religiosity, etc.

    As the social structure solidifies, political antagonism increases. People who are locked into their identity as Democrats only care about seeing Democrats win and Republicans lose. Republicans, too, have come to care more about winning than about issues. I would note that Democrats loved Barack Obama's victories, even though at the state level the party hollowed out while he was President. By the same token, Republicans love Donald Trump's victory, even though it seems to be devastating the party's future.

    Another trend is an increase in what Mason calls "blind" activism. That is, political activism driven by anger and enthusiasm, rather than by reason and practical considerations.

    I think that the publisher is wrong to position this as a purely academic book or textbook. It should be of value to the many people who have a general interest in the nature of political behavior. I read the Kindle version of the book, and I found that I had to squint to read the graphs. But it was still very much worth it.

    Finally, I cannot resist saying that if you like this book, you may also like my own more amateurish effort, The Three Languages of Politics. Although my book is very different in style from Uncivil Agreement, I think that the two books share some of the same underlying psychological outlook.
    35 people found this helpful
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  • M. JEFFREY MCMAHON
    4.0 out of 5 stars Causes of Partisan Politics Needs to Say Full Story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Lillian Mason has done a rigorous job of taking us into the weeds of partisan politics in America, which is dividing our country, making us toxic toward one another, and making us fight for our tribe rather than fight for our common goal of American health and strength. Her scholarship, statistical data, and data interpretation are topnotch. She shows the widening gap between Republicans and Democrats. Today, Republicans are more white, more wealthy, and more religious than Democrats. Both parties are guilty of partisan politics, excesses, and indulgences that speak more to their tribalism than fair-mindedness.

    However, Mason tries too hard to be non-partisan in her account because by showing the sins of both the Republicans and Democrats, she implies a moral equivalency that cannot stand. Specifically, as I write we have a president who lies everyday on Twitter and elsewhere, takes babies away from their mothers, pens them in internment camps, and at Helsinki dismissed US Intelligence and sided with Russia. In spite of this president's egregious behavior, he enjoys 90% approval from Republicans and 80% approval from white Evangelicals. Such moral bankruptcy is even called out by conservative operatives like David Frum, Steve Schmidt, and Rick Wilson. Therefore, the sins of Democrats, whether they be economic spending excesses, identity politics, and whatever else, are not a moral equivalence of support for a sociopath president.
    Mason should have made this non equivalence clear in her book. Secondly, she should have pointed out that Republicans have been dog whistling racism for decades and this culminated into the president we have now. Thirdly, Mason should have made it clear that not all party opposition is unreasonable. It is very reasonable for people on both parties to oppose a liar and a criminal. My guess is that Mason was trying too hard to be non partisan to make this point clear. Perhaps she wrote this book before the criminality unfolded from the White House. I just want to add the full story. I am writing as no Kool-Aid drinker for liberalism. In fact, I find the criticism of the current White House more cogent and convincing from the aforementioned David Frum, Steve Schmidt, and Rick Wilson.
    75 people found this helpful
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  • MM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Important work in divided times
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Dr. Mason's book is not only approachable, but it is makes a compelling argument that we are driven by the proclivities of our identities - especially now compared to four or six years ago. This fact has already shown to be dangerous for how we perceive activism and the other side - which in turn has affected how we might think about politics, the other side, and voting. (Ah!) I recommend this book to all my academic friends and colleagues (my advisor has told me to calm down a little, I admit), and also to my friends and family. I'm not in the field of political science, and that should go to tell you that this book is worth the read.

    Reading this book might even make holidays spent with the friends and family members who voted for Trump or ultra-right candidates (or fringe candidates) a little easier to get through - because now you'll know why they always have an argument for everything! Reading this has helped me not start arguments with my former Democrat-leaning, now Trump-voting grandpa and even my uber-Democrat uncle. (For real. Knowledge is power!)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Don Sakers
    3.0 out of 5 stars Charts missing in Kindle edition
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is a good analysis of partisanship in today's US. The author's style is formal but pretty readable. Unfortunately—and through no fault of the author, I'm sure—the charts (and there are many) are missing from the Kindle edition. So when the author says, “As you can see from Figure 4.1...” sadly, no, the reader CAN'T see. Without actual numbers to work from, sometimes it's difficult to follow the author's obviously well-constructed argument.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Tom
    3.0 out of 5 stars No Charts, Tables or Graphs
    Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I hate when non-fiction books with figures, charts, graphs are either poorly displayed on the e-Reader or not displayed at all. That is the case here. I would think Kindle on iPad should be able to hand charts and graphs with no problem. But, no. All I could see was the figures title and that is all. So frustrating.

    The book itself starts off really good and it gets very scholarly. Because it veers into more of a research thesis vs a book targeted to lay people, it makes for dry reading for the second half. It doesn't help I can 't see the data represented in the book.

    Overall, Lilliana Mason does a good job making her point. It is very appropriate for our time.
    One person found this helpful
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