Deep Dive with Shawn Degrees of Division: Higher Education and Political Sorting in America (Featuring Dr. David Hopkins)
In this episode of Deep Dive, we examine the growing educational divide driving polarization in American politics and its implications for democracy. Dr. David Hopkins, co-author of the book Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics, joins the pod to explain how college attainment correlates with political alignment and explores cultural factors contributing to this complex landscape. We dig into:
• how the diploma divide influences voter behavior and party affiliation;
• if/how higher education shapes cultural and political identities;
• how populism connects with working-class cultural concerns;
• the fact that urban areas lean Democratic; rural areas gravitate towards
Republicans;
• the perceived liberal bias in academia fuels skepticism among conservatives;
and
• how/why dialogue and empathy are vital for bridging educational divides.
-------------------------
Follow Deep Dive:
Bluesky
YouTube
Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com
Music:
Majestic Earth - Joystock