Bill Crotty, professor emeritus of political science and an expert in American political parties and elections, says that this election is not without precedent.
The 2016 presidential election has been characterized by its uniqueness both in candidates and in the deep divide among likely voters. But Bill Crotty, professor emeritus of political science and an expert in American political parties and elections, says that this election is not without precedent. “This is not the worst of times,” he explains, “but it is a low point in a country with a history of political low points.”
In this Q&A, Crotty talks about the fractious nature of the nation’s political climate, noting that the “civil war” within the Republican Party “has been festering for years.” But, he says, the Democratic Party, too, “has problems and they are just beginning to surface.”
