"In their Policy Forum “Political sectarianism in America” (30 October 2020, p. 533), E. J. Finkel et al. summarize research on the multiple sources of the decades-long U.S. march to toxic polarization. However, the mitigation tactics they offer seem piecemeal and insufficient. To reverse a 50-year trajectory of runaway division, we need an evidence-based strategy tailored to structural change.
Research on how deeply divided societies change course suggests that how leaders approach entrenched problems, especially early on in their tenure, can make the difference. Transformations are most likely to occur when leaders take office after a major political shock—like the COVID-19 pandemic or the 6 January storming of the Capitol by political extremists—has destabilized the status quo and lead in a way that differs dramatically from the leadership that instigated the divisions. Moreover, in societies where distrust and suspicion reign, changes in political strategies are often best introduced with a public declaration of intention."