#1083 Matt Grossmann: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics

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Apr 11, 2025

Matt Grossmann, Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and expert in political science, dives into the intriguing dynamics of the diploma divide. He explains how educational attainment has shifted voter demographics and party affiliations since the 1980s. The conversation unveils the cultural wars impacting political identities, with stark contrasts between the Obama and Trump eras. Grossmann also analyzes rising skepticism towards expertise and how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing divides, all shaping the future of American politics.

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INSIGHT

The Diploma Divide

The "diploma divide" reflects the growing electoral gap between those with and without college degrees, aligning with left and right parties, respectively.
This divide is intertwined with the rise of social and cultural issues in politics, overshadowing economic concerns.

INSIGHT

Two Social Trends

Two key trends are the growth of educational attainment and the liberalization of American society since the 1980s.
These trends, while independent, reinforce each other, impacting political party coalitions.

INSIGHT

Culture War's Reach

The culture war extends beyond politics, encompassing societal debates on values and change.
It infiltrates everyday life, politicizing seemingly non-political aspects like music, commercials, and social media posts.

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Dr. Matt Grossmann is Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) and Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center in Washington, DC, host of The Science of Politics Podcast and a regular contributor to FiveThirtyEight’s online political analysis. He is the author (with David A. Hopkins) of Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics.

In this episode, we focus on Polarized by Degrees. We talk about the diploma divide, and trends that led to it since the 1980s. We discuss the demographics of the diploma divide, the “culture war” and how it manifests politically, the contrast between Obama and Trump, the divide between your men and young women, differences between Democrats and Republicans, and attitudes toward experts and institutions, the media, and corporations. We also talk about how the divide manifested in terms of policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we discuss whether there is a solution to this divide.

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