(Mis)Understanding the Other Side: How Americans Explain Opposing Political Views

By Jeffery J. Mondak, Matthew Mettler, Matthew V. Hibbing

A genuine understanding of politics requires us to accept that even those with whom we disagree may have a reasoned basis for their preferences. Acknowledgment of the existence and legitimacy of opposing perspectives may help people with ingrained political differences communicate better and develop more thoughtful and informed rationales for their own opinions. (Mis)Understanding the Other Side analyzes Americans' ability to recognize and understand dissenting views, a necessary step if we are to reduce partisan polarization and be more effective citizens.

The authors conducted a national survey of 2500 Americans to gauge people's political motivations and their views on major political issues. The respondents were also asked to explain the rationale for "the other side." Exploration of respondents' own words and subsequent statistical analyses combine to show how well people articulate their own issue rationales and the extent to which they understand, and are receptive to, opposing positions.

(Mis)Understanding the Other Side identifies severe limitations in how and how well Americans explain both their own positions and those of people who disagree with them. The authors highlight the challenges these limitations pose for effective citizenship and point to strategies that may foster better understanding across lines of political difference.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439928517
• ISBN13: 9781439928516
• Release Date: April 2027
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 254 Pages