The Biggest Political Divide Is Not Left vs. Right

The Biggest Political Divide Is Not Left vs. Right

The biggest divide in our politics isn’t between Democrats and Republicans, or even left and right. It’s between people who follow politics closely, and those who pay almost no attention to it. If you’re in the former camp — and if you’re reading this, you probably are — the latter camp can seem inscrutable. These people hardly ever look at political news. They hate discussing politics. But they do care about issues and candidates, and they often vote.

As the 2024 election takes shape, this bloc appears crucial to determining who wins the presidency. An NBC News poll from April found that 15 percent of voters don’t follow political news, and Donald Trump was winning them by 26 points.

Yanna Krupnikov studies exactly this kind of voter. She’s a professor of communication and media at the University of Michigan and an author, with John Barry Ryan, of “The Other Divide: Polarization and Disengagement in American Politics.” The book examines how the chasm between the deeply involved and the less involved shapes politics in America. I’ve found it to be a helpful guide for understanding one of the most crucial dynamics emerging in this year’s election: the swing to Trump from President Biden among disengaged voters.

In this conversation, we discuss how politically disengaged voters relate to politics; where they get their information about politics and how they form opinions; and whether major news events, like Trump’s recent conviction, might sway them.

Mentioned:

The ‘Need for Chaos’ and Motivations to Share Hostile Political Rumors” by Michael Bang Petersen, Mathias Osmundsen and Kevin Arceneaux

Hooked by Markus Prior

The Political Influence of Lifestyle Influencers? Examining the Relationship Between Aspirational Social Media Use and Anti-Expert Attitudes and Beliefs” by Ariel Hasell and Sedona Chinn

One explanation for the 2024 election’s biggest mystery” by Eric Levitz

Book Recommendations:

What Goes Without Saying by Taylor N. Carlson and Jaime E. Settle

Through the Grapevine by Taylor N. Carlson

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.

You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Efim Shapiro and Aman Sahota. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Avsnitt(482)

Inside the Minds of Spiders, Octopuses and Artificial Intelligence

Inside the Minds of Spiders, Octopuses and Artificial Intelligence

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “Children of Time” is about an advanced civilization built by sentient spiders. A sequel, “Children of Ruin,” is about a society run by superintelligent octopuses. I love these bo...

24 Feb 20231h 2min

This Book Changed My Relationship to Pain

This Book Changed My Relationship to Pain

Physical pain is a universal human experience. And for many of us, it’s a constant one. Roughly 20 percent of American adults — some 50 million people — suffer from a form of chronic pain. For some, t...

21 Feb 20231h 4min

The Inflation Story Has Changed Dramatically. Paul Krugman Breaks It Down.

The Inflation Story Has Changed Dramatically. Paul Krugman Breaks It Down.

In recent months, the story of the U.S. economy has changed significantly. The January Consumer Price Index showed that annual inflation slowed for the seventh straight month. That month, the economy ...

17 Feb 20231h 17min

How the $500 Billion Attention Industry Really Works

How the $500 Billion Attention Industry Really Works

For most of us, seeing an advertisement pop up while we’re scrolling on Instagram or reading an article or watching a video is the most banal experience possible. But in the background of those experi...

14 Feb 20231h 6min

The Tao of Rick Rubin

The Tao of Rick Rubin

Reading Rick Rubin’s production discography is like taking a tour through the commanding heights of American music over the past few decades. Jay-Z. Run-DMC. Beastie Boys. Slayer. The Red Hot Chili Pe...

10 Feb 20231h 29min

How Liberals — Yes, Liberals — Are Hobbling Government

How Liberals — Yes, Liberals — Are Hobbling Government

In my columns and on this show over the past few years, I’ve argued that to achieve the goals liberals hold most dear, we need a liberalism that builds. A liberalism that builds everything from multif...

7 Feb 20231h 20min

Best Of: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue States

Best Of: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue States

Ezra is out sick, so today, we’re sharing one of our favorite conversations — with Jenny Schuetz, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution whose 2022 book “Fixer Upper: How to Repair America’s Bro...

3 Feb 20231h 16min

First Person: How the Left Is Cannibalizing Its Own Power

First Person: How the Left Is Cannibalizing Its Own Power

Ezra is out sick, so today, we're sharing an episode from the New York Times Opinion podcast, “First Person.” Each week, the host Lulu Garcia-Navarro sits down with people living through the headlines...

31 Jan 202336min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
motiv
blenda-2
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
rss-viva-fotboll
svenska-fall
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
aftonbladet-daily
spar
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-vad-fan-hande
olyckan-inifran
svd-ledarredaktionen
grans
kungligt
rss-krimreportrarna
dagens-eko