Partisan Sorting

Partisan sorting is when individuals tend to align their political beliefs more strongly with their chosen political party over time, leading to groups that are more ideologically uniform. This means liberals increasingly associate with Democrats and conservatives more with Republicans, resulting in less political overlap between groups. Such sorting can deepen political divides, as people are less likely to have bridging views or common ground with opposing parties, making bipartisan cooperation more difficult. Essentially, it's a process where personal and social identities become closely linked to partisan labels, reinforcing ideological consistency within each group.