How Can We Distinguish Between Partisan Sorting and Ideological Polarization

question 19

Essay

How can we distinguish between partisan sorting and ideological polarization in describing the American public? What's the evidence that partisan sorting best characterizes the attitudes and behavior of American voters? What's the evidence that ideological polarization is a good description? Which term would you regard as the more accurate, and why?

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Definitions:

Flowing Groundwater

refers to the movement of water through the pores and spaces in soil and rock beneath the Earth's surface.

Plume

1. A rising mass of mostly solid mantle material, thought to be the causal mechanism of a hot spot. 2. A mass of groundwater contamination that spreads out away from the source.

Groundwater Contamination

The presence of harmful substances in groundwater, resulting from pollutants entering the aquifer system.

Cone of Contamination

A theoretical zone surrounding a drilling site where pollution or contamination can spread, affecting surrounding soil or groundwater.