The rapid widening of ideological gaps between the two major congressional parties is best characterized as party polarization.
Political polarization is the movement of political beliefs away from the center and toward the ideological extremes. Political parties and democratic forms of government are considered in most political science discussions of polarization.
The elements that have contributed to the current polarization of Congress have been developing for some time. According to an analysis of members' ideological scores, the current impasse between Democrats and Republicans is the result of multiple overlapping tendencies that have been active - and occasionally reinforcing - for decades.
The recent increase in ideological distance between the two main parties in congress can be best described as party polarization.
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