America is separating into two nations with two different experiences of reality itself: Red America and Blue America.

As Robert Talisse, Vanderbilt University political theorist and today’s Utterly Moderate podcast guest, writes:

“[O]ur everyday social environments are increasingly segregated along partisan lines. It is no exaggeration to say that in the United States today, opposing partisans live in different social worlds. For example, liberals and conservatives live in different kinds of neighborhoods, shop at different stores, purchase different products, drive different vehicles, express different aesthetic preferences, work in different occupations, and form different kinds of family groups. They eat different foods. They understand words differently and even exhibit different patterns of pronunciation. The familiar narrative of ‘red’ and ‘blue’ states goes far deeper than geography. In the United States today, political affiliation is more of a lifestyle than an outlook on the purposes of government.”

Utterly Moderate host Lawrence Eppard has written about similar phenomena: the increasingly distinct epistemologies of left and right.

On this episode of Utterly Moderate, Eppard and Talisse discuss the troubling state of polarization in America today, and how each of us might better ourselves in order to better our democracy. Enjoy!

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Episode Audio:

• "Air Background Corporate" by REDCVT (Free Music Archive)


• "Please Listen Carefully" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)


• "Last Dance" by Jahzzar (Free Music Archive)


• “Happy Trails (To You)” by the Riders in the Sky (used with artist’s permission)