This is an extremely data-dense presentation of ideas that we already knew existed. I guess I was thinking for something that spent more time focusing on solutions for a problem that has been discussed for decades. As a teacher, all I hear about is how obsessed my students are with going to college because they think their lives will be over if they don't. This isn't particularly readable and doesn't offer any more than I think most people are already familiar with.

In POLARIZED BY DEGREES, Matt Grossmann and David A. Hopkins have focused on "How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics." Grossmann, Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University, and Hopkins, Associate Professor of Political Science at Boston College, assert that "a growing 'diploma divide' has rapidly reversed the traditional relationship between education and partisanship, now separating degree-holding white Democrats from degree-lacking white Republicans." They note that the combination of trends like increased educational attainment and a leftward shift in American cultural norms "has also left whites without a college degree - who maintain relatively traditionalist predispositions, hold increasingly precarious economic positions, and perceive themselves as vulnerable to downward social mobility - open to populist appeals that promote resentment of, and mobilization against, members of the cultural elite like professional journalists, educators, scientists, and intellectuals." I have included that excerpt both for content and as an example of the often-verbose style. Numerous scholars and students (see the acknowledgements) provided feedback and input for this text; researchers interested in this topic will find much to explore in the many Notes and detailed Index which together comprise about a third of the text. Recent political discussions do feel as though we do not have shared experiences or speak a common language so I just had to add the blurb for POLARIZED BY DEGREES from The New York Times' Thomas Edsall: "essential reading for everyone trying to figure out what the hell is going on in American politics." 3.5 stars

Solid - And Solidly Dense - Examination Of The Topic. You know those jokes about the Christmas fruitcakes that are so dense you could use them as an anvil or even the cornerstone of a house? This... is damn near that dense. So be prepared for that up front, and it is a solid examination of political and even, to a lesser extent, religious polarization in the US over the last 60 years or so - with more emphasis on the last 40 years or so, when the authors claim that the "Diploma Divide" began explaining ever more of the results of elections.

Well documented at roughly 33% of the overall text, there isn't anything particularly "explosive" here, but there *is* a lot of detailed discussion of what has occurred and why the authors' research says it happened. One of the few books of its type where the authors are explicit in *not* making policy recommendations, instead taking an attitude of "this is the data we have, this is what we believe it shows, do with it as you will". Which is actually refreshing - the authors note that they are academics working in academia, and even if they have worked with campaigns off and on at times, they are not politicians or political operators, and thus their expertise isn't campaigns or campaign strategy - their expertise is in asking questions, gathering data, and analyzing that data.

Overall, while the outcomes are those we all know, Grossman and Hopkins add more data to the discussion - which is never a bad thing - and thus help aid in our overall understanding of what we have seen, giving us a more complete picture of the events as we know them.

Recommended.

**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Sharp Analysis of America's Political Divide**

*Polarized by Degrees* by Matt Grossmann and David A. Hopkins offers a timely and insightful exploration of how educational attainment has deepened political divides in America. The authors skillfully analyze the "diploma divide," showing how differences in education levels have fueled cultural and political polarization. Their research is thorough and well-presented, making complex ideas accessible to a broad audience. While the book leans heavily on data and may feel dense at times, it provides a compelling and necessary examination of a key factor in today’s political landscape. A must-read for those seeking to understand the roots of America's growing political and cultural divisions.