Are We Our Politics?

Welcome back for Season Two of We’re All Alright. 

This season, I’m exploring questions of identity and otherness. 

The big question: Can we allow others–and be okay with others–finding themselves and being themselves when who they are is entirely different from who we are, what we prefer, and what we expect?

And where better to start that discussion than with political identity?!

Political identity encompasses how and why we choose to define ourselves as members of, in alignment with, or in relation to, political parties, and how we perceive others who do so, especially those of opposing parties.

What are we really doing when we adopt a political identity? And is it even useful?

In This Episode:

• A brief history and evolution of political parties in the United States
• Why binary labels like Left and Right fail to encompass or reflect the reality of the principles and ideologies individuals hold
• Imagining an expanded election process
• Why humans create the “other side”

References:

• We’re All Alright S01E08: Media: Where “Truth” Meets Human Nature
• From white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic Party
• When and why did Democrats and Republicans switch platforms? | Live Science
• Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology | Pew Research Center
• The Political Typology Quiz | Pew Research Center

Learn More About Phyllis Wilson:

• Website
• Instagram: @Alright_Podcast