USA united after 9/11; why unity is now improbable after a seismic event

In the 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, our nation has undergone a series of tectonic shifts that have dramatically reshaped the political landscape. These five fundamental changes include the rise and entrenchment of social media, a revolution in traditional media, instant partisan blame games, a crisis of trust in government, and the widest economic disparity in three decades.

Together, these factors have fueled extreme polarization and perpetual disunity, casting doubt on whether Americans could unite as we did in the weeks and months after 9/11 if, God forbid, a similar seismic attack were to occur again. A data point that crystallizes the “then versus now” contrast is presidential job approval.

Two Gallup polls conducted between Aug. 24 and Sept. 10, 2001, showed President George W. Bush with an average approval rating of 53 percent. Gallup’s first post-9/11 poll found Bush’s approval rating had zoomed to 86 percent, and its next poll, conducted on Sept. 21-22, showed 90 percent. Moreover, on Oct. 10, 2001, an ABC News poll reported Bush’s job approval at 92 percent — a record-breaking presidential high for both Gallup and ABC News.

Bush’s approval remained in the 80s until March 2002, when it began to decline gradually.

In comparison, President Trump’s current average job approval is 38 percent, fifteen points below President Bush’s pre-9/11 approval. This gap underscores how unlikely national unity is after a monumental crisis or attack, given the five fundamental changes since September 2001.

The most significant change, and a major cause of disunity, is social media.

Today, anyone can be a reporter,........

© The Hill