A LOOK AT TRIBALISM IN AMERICA

In today’s winner-take-all political climate, it is fashionable to discuss tribalism in America as the new normal. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, tribalism is “a very strong feeling of loyalty to a group so that you support them, whatever they do.”  Many view tribalism as one step removed from being a card-carrying Democrat or Republican. In fact, political partisanship is only the tip of the tribal iceberg. Something more sinister is going on that should trouble all of us concerned about the future of American democracy.

It is helpful in understanding tribalism is to look outside our borders to find examples of tribal conflicts that have existed far longer than our American variety. The past situation in Northern Ireland, the struggles in Israel-Palestine, or ongoing conflicts in Africa come to mind. All of these disputes have been marked by recurring violence motivated by tribal self-interest. American tribalism appears to be headed in the same direction.

Tribalism has distinct characteristics. First, it does not stop at political differences. Tribalism creates rigid views on history, immigrants, gender,  religion, and social values. A MAGA hat or flag from the QAnon movement can define the tribe. There is no room for critical thinking within the narrowly defined group.

Second, the tribal community provides the all-important sense of belonging to an insulated faction rather than the nation as a whole. The German political theorist Max Weber defined a nation as “a community of sentiments which would adequately manifest itself into a state of its own.” What we have seen in America is several sub-groups that have total distrust for each other making a workable nation difficult to achieve.

Tribes do not believe in a democratic, pluralistic society. They do not accept members of diverse communities. In tribal politics, it is a binary choice between “us” and “them”.

Third, maintaining a democratic form of government becomes difficult. As we witnessed in the aftermath of the 2020 national election, an electoral defeat is taken as an existential threat to the losing tribe’s existence. All that matters to tribal members is staying in power to avoid imagined domination.

Tribalism becomes attractive to politicians motivated by power because the tribe never asks for public accountability. Moreover, a tribe provides an unending source of cult-like political support.

What has caused the rapid increase in American tribalism?      
When like-minded individuals are convinced they are being attacked, bullied, persecuted and discriminated against, rampant tribalism can result.  Generally, tribalism feeds off economic and psychological needs that society has not addressed, as described below.  

The Urban-Rural Divide. In recent decades, the urban-rural divide has determined how America votes and the make-up of Congress. Republicans dominate in rural states and rural congressional districts while Democrats control the metropolitan areas. The decline of economic opportunities in rural America has led to views of white victimization and encouraged tribalism based on white supremacy.

The Forgotten Middle Class.  The middle class has steadily diminished since the 1970s. According to the Pew Research Center, the national aggregate income of the middle class has shrunk from 62% in 1972 to 42% in 2020. Even with both parents working, a family often lacks the resources to cover housing and healthcare.  Declining union membership has removed a major voice in achieving middle class goals.  Anger and feelings of victimization increase when poorer neighbors, including recent immigrants, receive Medicaid, housing vouchers or food stamps.

White Christian Nationalism. The American social commentator and author, Bradley Onishi has described this ideology as a "national renewal project that envisions a pure American body that is heterosexual, white, native-born, that speaks English as a first language, and that is thoroughly patriarchal.”  White Christian nationalism is neither patriotic nor evangelical, although it hijacks these terms. The slogan “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) and its proponent, Donald Trump, gave this tribe new life in American culture.

Conspiracy Theories.  Conspiracy theories have come out of the shadows and into the mainstream because of social media. Disinformation campaigns sponsored by QAnon, election deniers, vaccine skeptics, and other provocateurs entice disgruntled Americans to join the associated tribe.  Conspiracy theories are attractive because they explain the ultimate causes of significant social and political events by means of unprovable secret plots between two or more powerful actors.

Identity Politics.  The progressive left has also contributed to the growth of tribalism because of identity politics. The original idea was that encouraging ethnic, gender, and sexual groups to take pride in their identity could achieve social justice. Martin Luther King called for universal civil rights for all minorities and poor people.  More recently, the goal in stressing identity has gone too far. Each group discourages dialogue with others who hold disparate views or have different backgrounds. The problem with identity politics is that it insists on respect for each minority group as unique rather than encourage universal inclusion as part of the nation.

Is it possible to reverse tribalism in America? Lofty pleas to support our democratic constitutional republic rather than the tribe have not worked. Moderate Americans must get involved and make the case that long-term national unity is only achievable through the application of tolerance, peaceful conflict, and ultimately compromise.

To keep the American experiment alive, we must return to and employ these basic principles.