538: Purple America Has All But Disappeared

[MarkD]

Gerrymandering of congressional districts does not explain why the U. S. Senate has also become just as polarized as the U. S. House. In both chambers, the political species known as "liberal Republicans" and "conservative Democrats" have become extinct, and the numbers of moderates in both parties is also shrinking. The increased polarization of politics within Congress over the past 40 years is commensurate with the increased polarization of the voters as reflected in these maps.