Political Party Tribalism: Is everyone voting without thinking?

Does everyone today automatically vote for candidates from their own political party without thinking or research? When is the last time you crossed party lines when voting for a candidate? If you have never crossed party lines to vote, what is your reasoning?

Tribalism is a fundamental part of human nature. An August 2023 Wall Street Journal article titled Why Tribalism Took Over Our Politics stated “Decades of social science research show that our need for collective belonging is forceful enough to reshape how we view facts and affect our voting decisions.” And both the Democratic and Republican parties know this and are now better than ever at using tribalism to energize their supporters, with unfavorable views of the opposite party reaching all-time highs.

As the 2024 election campaigns ramp up, this is only going to get worse. So how do we move forward? What actions can we take to ensure the best candidates are elected to office, not just those with a certain party label? To get insights into these questions and find common ground with those who have diverse political perspectives, please join the Silicon Valley Braver Angels Alliance for an informal 90-minute conversation on political party tribalism.