Apr 10 Watch 11:47 Division in Oregon highlights growing political rift between rural and urban areas By Judy Woodruff, Sarah Clune Hartman The divide between rural and urban areas in the United States has been growing in recent decades with grievances and political consequences on both sides. Judy Woodruff traveled across Oregon to learn more about that rift for her series, America… Continue watching
Sep 27 Watch 11:00 Political theorist promotes 'Our Common Purpose' plan to reinvent American democracy By Judy Woodruff, Frank Carlson, Sarah Clune Hartman A new Pew Research Center study confirmed what you might already suspect: Americans feel intense dissatisfaction with the way our government currently works and a growing distaste for both political parties. One of the main voices calling for sweeping change… Continue watching
Jul 14 Americans are widely pessimistic about the state of democracy in the U.S., AP-NORC poll finds By Nicholas Riccardi, Linley Sanders, Associated Press A new poll finds that only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults give high ratings to the way democracy is working in the United States or how well it represents the interests of most Americans. Continue reading
Jul 05 Conservatives move to red states and liberals move to blue as the country grows more polarized By Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Americans are segregating themselves by their politics at a rapid clip, helping fuel the greatest divide between the states in modern history. Continue reading
Oct 29 Violent attack on Paul Pelosi latest shock in country on edge about threats to democracy By Chris Megerian, Jonathan J. Cooper, Steve Peoples, Associated Press An America that can already feel like it’s hurtling toward political disintegration has been jolted yet again, this time by the violent attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi less than two weeks before Election Day. Continue reading
Jan 10 Watch 8:18 Political polarization prompts efforts to bridge the gap through shared experiences By Paul Solman, Lee Koromvokis, Murrey Jacobson PBS NewsHour spent much of last week trying to examine what still divides our country and the deep polarization that preceded the Jan. 6 riots. Now, Paul Solman looks at multiple efforts to bridge those major political and cultural fissures… Continue watching
Aug 11 Watch 8:04 How the pandemic exposes rifts in America that exist among regions, races and classes Despite the successful passage of the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure bill, Washington is still a city known for polarization. But as author George Packer recently explained in an interview with Judy Woodruff, the divisions in our country are greater and deeper… Continue watching
Nov 10 Watch 6:38 How U.S. history could provide a path out of polarization By Paul Solman The U.S. feels more deeply divided than it has in decades. According to social scientist Robert Putnam, the data backs up that assessment. Putnam, author of the seminal work on social capital and isolation “Bowling Alone,” believes looking back to… Continue watching
Dec 13 Watch 8:15 Are social media giants doing enough to prevent the spread of misinformation? Social media has revolutionized the way we connect and communicate -- and certainly not all for the better. In his new book, “Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation,” Andrew Marantz explores how digital platforms full… Continue watching
Dec 05 Watch 7:56 Tony Blair on why he's advocating for a global policy 'center ground' By PBS News Hour Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, believes the populist wave coursing across the globe is dangerous -- and likely to exacerbate, rather than ease, tensions and instability. He sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss Brexit, the… Continue watching