The origins of extreme political polarization, and who is responsible|

Shattered Consensus: The Rise and Decline of America's Postwar Political Order by James Pierson may be one of the best books ever written on American political history. It traces the evolution of both political parties from the aftermath of World War I to the present. What is especially interesting is how, following the death of John F. Kennedy, the Democratic Party turned away from traditional liberalism, when Democrats still believed in American exceptionalism. JFK would have been considered a raging conservative today, as he believed in lower taxes, a strong...