It has been said that Americans are more politically polarized now than ever. Millions of Americans, including myself, have stories of friends and family members who will no longer talk to them because of their political beliefs. Much of that tends to be over issues at the national level. As someone who writes about national politics, I am often guilty myself of neglecting what is going on right in my own backyard. Are people as divided over the local issues in their area as they are over something President Trump has said or done? A new survey reveals some interesting details.
When I ran for local office, I knocked on more than 15,000 doors. Poor, rich, and middle-class.
My biggest takeaway was how much people agreed with one another in one-on-one conversations.
We are far less polarized than the media makes us out to be. pic.twitter.com/O3bExRuQKc
— Joe Carlasare (@JoeCarlasare) June 14, 2025
In September, a nonprofit group called CivicPulse, commissioned by the nonprofit Carnegie Corporation of New York, surveyed 1,400 city and county officials. The survey showed that nine out of ten of those officials felt that political polarization was harming the nation, but just 30 percent of those respondents felt that the political divide was harmful to their local communities. However, earlier surveys showed that officials felt that political polarization rose with a community’s population. Those in communities larger than 50,000 people more often reported “a great deal” of national effects at 41 percent, than those in smaller communities at 28 percent. One of the factors cited in the survey was the fact that elections in larger, more populated areas often take on a national tone, for example, the recent congressional special election in Tennessee.
READ MORE: Family and Friends Who Don’t Share Your Politics? A Masterclass in How Not to Handle It
CivicPulse Director Nathan Lee cited several politically polarizing events, beginning in April with the fire at the Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion, while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were home. Then, in June, the murder of a Minnesota State Rep. and her husband, the very public murder in September of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk, followed by the recent government shutdown. With Kirk’s murder, Lee also brought up the event itself, the reactions to it, and then the reactions to the reactions, making for a toxic mix.
As things get down to a local level, however, a bit more sanity seems to prevail. Grant Hinson is the Mayor of Biscoe, North Carolina, population 2,200. He rightly stated:
“I think for the most part, we all want the same fundamentals — safe neighborhoods, good schools, are there any jobs coming in, more opportunities for kids? We see each other in a grocery store, ballgames, church, whatever and we’re connected.”
That common sense is echoed by Tamaya Loewe, township supervisor in Germantown, Wisconsin, population 1,800, who said:
“People may differ in opinions with their neighbors and the folks that they’re going to church with or that they have kids on the same sports team with. But there’s that small community feel, where people still really work to try to get along and kind of accept that we’re not always going to agree on things.”
Local politics matter much more than federal.
My town wants to pass an ordinance to restrict chickens and egg sales. It’s a packed hearing to oppose.
Not much gets me out after 6 pm in December. But I hate government overreach. pic.twitter.com/aDXkymTFyx
— Melissa Blasek (@MelissablasekNH) December 5, 2025
The survey also asked what local institutions officials thought helped to break through any partisan divide and encouraged civic participation. Of those surveyed, 83 percent said K-12 schools helped to bring the community together “a great deal,” or “a lot,” or “a moderate amount.” Sports, whether it was the kids or the adults playing, were mentioned by 70 percent of respondents. Law enforcement agencies, public libraries, and local parks came in at 64 percent, largely because they are locally run, which causes residents to care more about them. Local colleges and universities made the list at 62 percent. One Town Selectman in Killingsworth, Connecticut, said they encourage residents to volunteer for various committees.
ALSO READ: Michigan Town Comes Together to Move Books – One by One
I have written about politics for 15 years. And while it might sound like a “duh” moment, the one consistent thing is the fact that a lot of what goes on locally tends to end up on the national stage in some form or other. Therefore, it might be best to have your voice heard while it is among the few rather than among the many. Better go check my calendar. When is that next City Council meeting anyway?
“The locals will hate you” city people say about moving to a small town. But I moved from a metropolitan area of the Midwest to a little New England village and became town moderator, vice chair of the planning board, a lector at church and the town Santa Claus. Be likeable. pic.twitter.com/0zbJU9y4Gs
— Casey B. Head (@CaseyBHead) July 24, 2025
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