Tribalism: The Political Hivemind

Although many individuals can pledge their allegiance to a political party -- generally as

a Democrat or a Republican -- their views and support for particular political topics can vary as

each individual falls into their respective spot on the political spectrum. By collecting data as to

where a person lies on the spectrum, we can derive a visual representation as to how these views

are distributed amongst the public, usually taking on the form of a ​bell curve​. The largest

classified group being Independents (​roughly 38%​), along with the other two dominant political

leanings, Democrats to the left (approximately 31%) and Republican to the right (approximately

29%).
However, as we drift further and further to the ends of the spectrum, we begin to enter the

territory of tribalism and extremism, though it is uncertain if more extreme views guarantee for a

more tribalistic nature.

A section from the book, The American Voter: An Abridgement, written by Campbell,

Converse, and Stokes, expands on the psychological concept of tribalism and how this mental

framework influences how one might participate in the realm of politics. The authors’ focus on

two particular political activities that are heavily influenced by an individual’s dedication “to one

of the two major parties”; those are elections and the implementation of policies by politicians.

While tribalism may be looked down upon as blind obedience, it can come to the great advantage

of a particular party, providing its members with a cushion of supporters. An example of this

could be seen amongst more moderate to extreme democrats since they have a high chance of

voting and supporting the principals that the Democratic party claims to uphold. Even when the

party reassesses its stance on a particular matter, the tribalistic voters will continue to support the

party, even if the voter disagrees. There is no clear-cut answer as to why people take on this

tribalistic perspective of politics, but one may argue that the idea of ‘nature vs. nurture’ is a

contributing factor, or that it’s more of a defense mechanism by choosing a ‘lesser of two evils.’

Tribalism can also affect the way that we see specific policies depending on who is

implementing them. USA Today published an article where a student gave a ​graduation speech

where he stated a quote by “Donald Trump” and was greeted by applause, only for the room to

go silent once he revealed that the quote was actually from Barack Obama.
 “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better

yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”​ - Barack Obama

This is a perfect example of tribalism in the form of collective thought. It wasn’t the

message from the quote that the audience disagreed with, but rather the person that was being

quoted. It is the belief that we are unable to find common ground with those that we disagree

with and therefore, must have completely polarizing views on these issues that create this tribal

tension. Additional examples can be found today in politics where Democrats have greatly

emphasized their disapproval for Detention Centers under President Trump’s presidency, despite

them being in use during and prior to Obama’s presidency. We can also see this in the

Republican party, where the idea of gun regulation is considerably unpopular amongst red

voters, despite having voted for Ronald Regan, who was also in favor of ​gun limitations​.

While the idea of tribalism might sound controversial, it is not uncommon in the realms

of political science. Campbell, Converse, and Stoke were right in their assessment of how people

label themselves and how it correlates with their voting patterns. For many, these labels and

identities play a significant role in the actions we take and those we support; because, at the end

of the day, voters entrust that their party representatives will uphold the party values, and in

return, will acquire their vote.

 Work Cited:

“Definition Political Bell Curve.” ​Modern,​

https://www.modernrepublic.org/political-bell-curve.

Gallup, Inc. “Party Affiliation.” ​Gallup.com,​ Gallup, 30 Sept. 2019,

https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx.

Kollman, Ken. ​Readings in American Politics: Analysis and Perspectives​. W.W. Norton &

Company, 2019.

Novelly, Thomas. “Crowd Cheers When Valedictorian Quotes Trump. Then Reveals It Was

Obama.” ​USA Today​, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 June 2018,

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/03/kentucky-valedictorian-quotes-

trump-then-reveals-obama/667758002/.

Shapira, Ian. “Before Trump's Wild Shifts on the NRA, Ronald Reagan Took on the Gun

Lobby.” ​The Washington Post,​ WP Company, 1 Apr. 2019,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/03/02/before-trump-defied-the

-nra-ronald-reagan-took-on-the-gun-lobby/.