An older America fades.

• Author: Bresler, Robert J.
• Position: STATE OF THE NATION - Essay

THE "CULTURE WARS" that began some decades ago never have ended and, are, in fact, more intense and divisive than ever. In the broadest sense, two cultures are deeply at odds with each other. The chasm between the two political parties, symbolized by the Red state and Blue state dichotomy, is the manifestation of this cultural split.

Recently, Ron Brownstein of the National Journal wrote that the GOP represents a "Coalition of Restoration primarily representing older, white, religiously devout, and nonurban voters who fear that hurtling change is undermining traditional American values. Democrats in turn are championing a younger, more urbanized, diverse, and secular Coalition of Transformation that welcomes the evolution in America's racial composition and cultural mores."

In a paper published by Jesse R. Harrington and Michele J. Gland of the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland, the authors use another category to amplify this division. They describe the states in various degrees of tightness and looseness based upon strength of punishment and degree of permissiveness. As they explain, "Compared with loose states, tight states have higher levels of social stability, including lower drug and alcohol use, lower rates of homelessness, and lower social disorganization. However, tight states also have higher incarceration rates, greater discrimination and inequality, lower creativity, and lower happiness relative to loose states." Not surprising, the 14 tightest states are mostly from the South; and the 14 loosest states are largely from the East and West Coasts. This, of course, tracks with the division between Red and Blue states.

Cultural attitudes can become embedded in individual behavior with long-term political implications. The cultural changes of the 1960s--with the emphasis upon satisfaction over self-restraint and contempt for traditional codes of behavior--have percolated through our political system. The most recent manifestation is growing social acceptance of gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana, particularly in the Blue states. What else, other than cultural differences, explains why Arkansas and Kentucky, two of our poorer states, are voting more Republican, while Connecticut and Maryland, two of our richer states, are solidly Democratic.

Brownstein's description of the Culture of Transformation vs. the Culture of Restoration gives an unsubtle hint of which one eventually will dominate. Culture...