The United States appears more split than ever, with headlines hammering the idea of a nation at war with itself. Yet historians argue that today’s hyper-partisan atmosphere may echo earlier epochs rather than constituting a brand-new phenomenon. On October 15, 2026, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics will host a free public lecture that positions the present controversy within a broader historical canvas. Attendees will hear Republic of Wrath author James A. Morone, PhD, dissect the forces that have repeatedly pulled American politics into tribal conflict.
Historical roots of American partisanship
Morone begins by tracing the lineage of division back to the nation’s inception. The very act of drafting the Constitution sparked fierce debates over federal power, a fissure that soon solidified into the first party system. Throughout the 19th century, issues such as slavery, immigration, and industrialization repeatedly sharpened the partisan edge, each wave leaving a legacy of rhetoric and institutional habits. By the time the Gilded Age arrived, political factions had become adept at leveraging identity politics to mobilize voters, a practice that would later be refined into modern campaign tactics. Morone argues that these historical patterns provide a template for understanding the current climate.
From the founding to the Gilded Age
During the early republic, Federalists and Democratic-Republicans embodied opposing visions of governance, setting a precedent for ideological polarization. The Civil War era introduced a moral dimension to partisanship, where the very survival of the Union was at stake. Post-war Reconstruction and the Progressive Era further demonstrated how social reforms could split parties along urban-rural and class lines. Morone highlights that each of these periods featured a blend of genuine policy disagreement and strategic labeling of opponents as existential threats—a dynamic that mirrors today’s political tribalism.
The Trump era and the road ahead
Shifting focus to the recent past, Morone examines how the Trump administration amplified existing trends while also creating novel disruptions. On one hand, the use of social media, direct attacks on institutional norms, and a rhetoric of “America First” amplified the tribal instincts long present in the electorate. On the other hand, the unprecedented scale of executive actions and the blurring of fact-checking mechanisms introduced new challenges for democratic resilience. Morone contends that while the Trump era feels singular, it is also the latest inflection point on a centuries-long trajectory of partisan escalation.
New precedents and continuing trends
The lecture will explore concrete data showing how partisan voting patterns have hardened since the 1970s, yet will also question whether today’s division is an outlier or a predictable continuation. Morone offers a nuanced view: certain institutional changes—such as the erosion of bipartisan committee norms in Congress—are indeed novel, but the underlying human tendency to form groups based on shared identity remains constant. He proposes that recognizing this duality is essential for crafting any effort to temper the “partisan storm.”
Beyond analysis, Morone shares practical suggestions for citizens, scholars, and policymakers who wish to mitigate polarization. He emphasizes the role of civic education, the importance of cross-partisan dialogue, and the potential of institutional reforms—like ranked-choice voting—to reduce zero-sum competition. The event concludes with a Q&A session, allowing the audience to probe deeper into the historical parallels and possible pathways forward.
James A. Morone holds the John Hazel White Professorship Emeritus at Brown University, with a bibliography that spans American history, health policy, and popular culture. His previous works include The Democratic WishHellfire Nation and Whiplash. The talk is open to anyone interested in the evolution of American partisanship, and books related to the lecture can be pre-ordered through online or local retailers. No registration is required—just walk in and join the conversation.
