SHARP POLARIZATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON DEMOCRATIC POLITICS

Abstract

With the rise of populism, sharp polarization came to the fore again. Polarization seems to be a phenomenon that we encounter in every society in every period. However, it becomes a serious risk for democracies when polarization sharpens in democracies, when the political-social distance between social segments widens and when it eliminates the cooperation and reconciliation necessary for coexistence. Democratic politics can come to life in an environment where conflicts in society turn into competition by agreeing on clear and well-defined rules. On the other hand, polarization brutalizes conflict and turns it into an us-and-them war that operates in the friend-enemy category. The identity of "we" becomes the carrier of the good, the truth, the virtue, the morality, the righteous, the threatened, the victim, the superior, the valuable. The identity of "they" is made the address of evil, immorality, unqualified, cruelty, injustice, worthlessness and evil. It turns the politics of sharp polarization into a war of existence and extinction. Thus, the space for democratic politics becomes narrower and perhaps disappears altogether and to return more and more difficult to democratic politics. Therefore, it becomes vital to recognize polarization, understand its causes and symptoms, and most importantly, be aware of its destructive effects on democratic politics and the system.