Contrary to popular belief, Americans are not as divided or as entrenched in their opinions as they might think. That’s one of the many provocative points made by Diana McLain Smith in “Remaking the Space Between Us: How Citizens Can Work Together To Build a Better Future for All.” Smith has years of experience working to resolve intergroup conflicts within businesses and organizations.
With deep research and informative statistics, her book analyzes how Americans got here and offers viable, if demanding, steps to remedy the problem. “These essays are for people who long for a better future,” she writes, “but cannot see their way through the obstacle course our democracy has become.” The first ray of hope Smith cites is a 2018 project by More in Common, a nonprofit, that determined only 13% of people hold views at the extreme ends of the political spectrum.
Thus, the large majority – a hefty 87% – holds views that are less radical and more practical. She also cites experiments in 2019 and 2021 conducted by researchers from Stanford University that revealed that Americans are not as entrenched in their opinions as people are led to believe, but are open to learning and even changing their views. Also that most party adherents overestimated the degree of extremism within the other party.
Smith puts some of the blame for the current state on the media, including social media, which focuses relentlessly on the speech and actions of the 13%. But mostly, Smith say.