Thesis: Through the use of examples and testimony, Bill Bishop persuades readers that the distrust of government and other institutions that started in the 1960s played a part in bringing about of a politically polarized nation. Due to the fact that Bishop's arguments are clear, I agree with his views.
Summary: In the 1950s, politics were not based on moral terms. At the start of the 1960s, people began losing their trust in the government, medicine, religion, large corporations, and education. When one looks at the accomplishments of President Lyndon Johnson, this lack of trust makes little sense. It was the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement that caused people to lose their trust in the government and other institutions. This lack of trust forced the government to become less active over the years. All of this contributed to a "decline in partisan political behavior" (Bishop, 103). This is why the Big Sort exists today.
Evaluation: One of the points Bishop makes in this chapter is that, in the 1960s, politics were not moralized. In order to make this argument, Bishop must define what exactly moralized means. He does this by providing readers with a number of examples: "...there was no relationship between church attendance and party. Regular churchgoers voted both Democratic and Republican" (Bishop, 82). Through this example, readers understand that whether someone goes to church or not is a moral decision. Since church and party were not linked, politics were not controlled by morals.
A key piece to Bishop"s argument is the data Ronald Inglehart gathered. Inglehart fund that "hungry people cared about survival... But those who grew up in abundance would be more concerned with self-expression. Those who lived in times of depression or joblessness esteemed economic growth. Those who knew plenty were more concerned about the environment and individual choice" (Bishop, 84). Bishop then uses the ideas of others to prove Inglehart's theory. He discusses Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow said that people needed to satisfy physiological and safety needs before they had a strong desire for love and esteem. This fits in with Inglehart's argument. Poor people could not discuss moral issues because they were still focused on hunger and financial security. Wealthier people already had those needs met and were, therefore, free to discuss moral issues.
Assesment: I agree with Bill Bishop's views. He makes a strong agrument when he discusses why politics are not based on moral terms by providing readers with examples. I find it easy to believe him when he says that people do not trust the government and other institutions because I do not trust these things. President Bush and his administration connected September 11, 2001 to the War in Iraq when these two events actually had nothing to do with each other. It is hard to trust the government when a war is started based on lies. I also believe that the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement led to distrust. The Vietnam War was the first war that the United States didn't even come close to winning. It made no sense that we were even over there. Also, the Civil Rights Movement was extremely strong in the 1960s.
In conclusion, Bill Bishop succeeds in persuading readers that distrust caused a politically polarized nation. This is seen through the use of examples, such as when Bishop proves that politics were not based on morals because an equal number of Democrats and Republicans went to church. He uses the testimony of Abraham Maslow to show that people cares were related to their social class. These changes led to movements such as the protests against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. With so much questioning going on, people started to distrust the government. This led to the decline of polarization.