The Andrew Carnegie Fellows program has selected its 2026 class, awarding 24 scholars with $200,000 grants each to investigate the underlying causes of political polarization in the United States. This marks the third consecutive year the program has focused on this critical issue, representing an $18 million investment in scholarly research. The fellows’ work aims to shed light on the historical, cultural, and technological factors contributing to the nation’s growing divisions.
Polarization has become a dominant theme in U.S. politics, with a 2026 survey by CivicPulse revealing that 89 percent of local officials believe it is negatively impacting the country. The 2026 fellows are exploring a wide range of topics, from the historical roots of political divisions to the role of online gaming and religious ideology in shaping modern polarization.
Historical perspectives on political polarization
Katlyn Marie Carter an Andrew Carnegie Fellow at the University of Notre Dame, is examining how political polarization has deep roots in American history. Her research focuses on early American debates over truth in politics, exploring how these historical divisions continue to influence contemporary political discourse.
Carter’s project aims to publish a book tracing these early debates and develop a college course that uses historical cases to help students analyze today’s controversies through a non-partisan lens. By understanding the historical context of political polarization, Carter hopes to provide insights into the current state of American politics.
Modern influences on polarization
The 2026 fellows are also investigating the role of modern technologies and cultural factors in fueling polarization. Eunji Kim of Columbia University is studying how online gaming communities shape young men’s political identities and contribute to extremism. With 70 percent of men under 30 spending leisure time gaming, Kim’s research highlights the potential impact of extremist content in these digital spaces.
Ayse Lokmanoglu at Boston University is exploring how political imagery, including authentic, altered, and AI-generated content, circulates online and influences polarization. Her work aims to map the spread of political imagery and test its effects on trust, polarization, and empathy. Lokmanoglu plans to lead media literacy workshops and publish her findings in a book.
Cultural and religious factors
Cecilia Márquez of Duke University is investigating the growing conservatism among Latinos in U.S. politics. Her research traces Latino far-right activism from the 1960s to the present, exploring how race, diaspora, and ideology shape political polarization within this community. Márquez aims to publish a book and organize a conference on Latino political polarization.
Matthew Avery Sutton of Washington State University is examining how religious leaders and policymakers have recast politics as spiritual warfare over the past 75 years. His research focuses on the cultural and religious forces behind polarization, with the goal of publishing a book that equips readers to resist divisive rhetoric.
Social cohesion and civic education
Michael Strawbridge of Washington University in St. Louis is studying the cultural roots of social cohesion within Black communities. His research aims to understand what unites Black Americans politically and how this cohesion has been sustained across generations. Strawbridge plans to publish a book that applies these findings to broader questions about creating and sustaining cohesion in polarized societies.
Chagai M. Weiss of the University of Toronto is investigating the potential of civic education to reduce polarization. His research focuses on the pivotal role of adolescence in forming political attitudes and the key role schools play in socializing students. Weiss aims to document state-level legislation on civic education and run field experiments testing the depolarizing effects of various civics curricula.
