The Gist

They’re More Bad Than We Are Good

Voters might feel just OK about their own party. But when it comes to the other one, emotions run high.   

A woman holding a partially filled-in electoral map from the 2016 election.

A woman holds an electoral map as voting results come in at Hillary Clinton’s election night event in New York City on Nov. 8, 2016.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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A few decades ago, it wasn’t uncommon for voters to support the presidential candidate from one party and the senator from another. “Ticket-splitting” is pretty rare now, and as Alan Abramowitz argues, just one of the many signs of an America divided. Abramowitz’s book is The Great Alignment Race, Party Transformation, and the Rise of Donald Trump.

In the Spiel, there may well be discrimination in college admissions offices. But let’s face it: Top-notch schooling is available way beyond the Ivy League.

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Podcast production by Pierre Bienaimé and Daniel Schroeder.