不平等:当代美国政治极化的经济与社会根源

Inequality:the Economic and Social Roots of Contemporary American Political Polarization

政治极化是当今美国政治最为显著的特征。近些年来,美国的经济不平等愈演愈烈,收入差距日趋明显,中产阶级持续萎缩,阶层固化初具规模,"贫困陷阱"业已显现。不平等的恶化是政治极化升级的经济和社会根源。不平等造成的贫富失衡、阶层分化、社会不公、机会不等,不仅导致右翼保守主义兴起、民粹主义泛滥、身份政治崛起和政治信任危机,更使党派冲突白热化、精英立场极端化、意识形态两极化、大众文化冲突化、社会阶层分裂化趋势进一步加剧。由于不平等保持着上升趋势,政治极化也丝毫没有减弱迹象,再加之不平等与政治极化相互交织、彼此强化,美国政治短期内将无法摆脱政治极化的发展态势。

Political polarization is the most prominent feature of American politics.In recent years,the economic inequality in the United States is becoming more and more serious,the income gap is becoming more and more obvious,the middle class continues to shrink,the class solidification has begun to take shape,and the"poverty trap"has emerged.The worsening trend of inequality provides a crucial economic and social root for the escalation and intensification of political polarization.The imbalance between the rich and the poor,class differentiation,social injustice and unequal opportunities caused by inequality not only lead to the rise of right-wing conservatism,the proliferation of populism,the rise of identity politics and the crisis of political trust,but also aggravate the trend of partisan conflicts,extreme elite positions,ideological polarization,mass culture conflicts and social class division.Due to the rising trend of inequality and no sign of weakening political polarization,and the interweaving and strengthening of inequality and political polarization,American politics will not be able to get rid of the development trend of political polarization in the short term.