By THE ALASKA STORY
May 7, 2026 – A new study from researchers at the University of California, Irvine suggests America’s political polarization is no longer confined to cable news panels and campaign rallies — it is now breaking apart friendships, straining families, and isolating millions of people in their daily lives.
The study, published this week in PNAS Nexus, examined what researchers call “political breakups,” defined as the loss of a relationship due to political disagreements. According to the authors, more than one-third of Americans have experienced such a rupture with a friend, family member, coworker, or romantic partner.
The research was conducted by Mertcan Güngör and Peter Ditto, who analyzed four separate datasets involving nearly 3,800 participants.
Their findings point to a country where political identity increasingly shapes personal relationships.
“More than a third of Americans reported that they have lost relationships with friends, family, romantic partners and coworkers over political differences,” the researchers wrote in their paper, titled “Political breakups: Interpersonal consequences of polarization.”
In a national YouGov survey conducted in April 2025, 37% of respondents said they had experienced at least one political breakup in their lifetime. Among those:
- 62% lost a friendship
- 40% lost a family relationship
- 29% lost a coworker relationship
- 10% lost a romantic relationship
More than half reported losing more than one type of relationship.
The researchers found friendships were the most vulnerable to political division.
“Friendships may be uniquely vulnerable to political breakups as they are close enough to allow for political differences to surface while lacking the commitments and constraints that hold romantic and family relationships together,” Güngör explained. “It’s easier to cut a friend or acquaintance whose politics annoy you out of your life than it is your boyfriend or uncle.”
The study suggests the trend accelerated dramatically after 2016.
Researchers compared breakups associated with the 2016 presidential election to those tied to the 2024 election cycle and found the 2024 rate surpassed the earlier wave in roughly half the time. Participants also reported a sharp increase in politically driven relationship losses beginning around 2016.
The researchers said the rise is too significant to dismiss as simple “recency bias.”
Data from the long-running American National Election Studies also showed Americans were significantly more likely to report damaged family relationships over politics in 2024 than they were in 2020.
The study found a notable partisan divide as well.
According to the April 2025 survey:
- 47% of Democrats reported experiencing a political breakup
- 39% of independents reported one
- 29% of Republicans reported one
Researchers also found Democrats were substantially more likely to initiate the split.
Among respondents who experienced a political breakup, 66% of Democrats said they were the one who ended the relationship, compared to 27% of Republicans.
The authors linked these relationship fractures to what social scientists call “affective polarization” — the growing tendency for Americans not only to disagree politically, but to actively dislike and distrust people on the opposing side.
Participants who reported political breakups expressed colder feelings toward political opponents, particularly ordinary voters rather than political elites. They were also more likely to believe their opponents held extreme views.
“If we cannot hear opposing perspectives of real people, we’ll rely on caricatures drawn by partisan media, and become more trapped in our ideological bubbles,” Güngör said.
The researchers warn that the social consequences may extend beyond politics.
At a time when the United States Surgeon General has already warned about an “epidemic of loneliness,” the loss of personal relationships over political disagreements could worsen mental and physical health outcomes.
Their conclusion was blunt: Political polarization is not just reshaping elections — it is reshaping American society itself.
“Political breakups represent a threat to the well-being of a democracy,” the researchers wrote, “and likely to the well-being of its citizens.”
28 thoughts on “More than one-third of Americans have lost relationships over politics, study says”
This is the end result of the moral absolutism of wokeness. The moral grandstanding and virtue signaling of a self ordained morally superior group is accomplished through public displays. Wokeness is ruled by emotion and feelings, open debate is shouted down with those the woke are opposed to cast as the enemy as the unclean as the unlearned. Logic and reason are not to be followed in this struggle of good vs. evil, wokeness must be followed with any deviation from the moral authority of the self ordained must be treated as heresy with the sinner being cast out. While wokeness has infected the left, some on the right are falling prey to the airs of supposed superiority along with the desire to control others.
This is the end result of the moral absolutism of MAGA-think. The moral grandstanding and virtue signaling of a self-ordained morally-superior group is accomplished through public displays. MAGA dogma is ruled by emotion and feelings, open debate is shouted down with those the MAGA-ites are opposed to cast as the enemy as the unclean as the unlearned. Logic and reason are not to be followed in this struggle of good vs. evil, MAGA-thought must be followed with any deviation from the moral authority of the self ordained must be treated as heresy with the sinner being cast out. While MAGA-thought has infected the right, some on the left are falling prey to the airs of supposed superiority along with the desire to control others.
There. Fixed that for you.
“Wokeness” means simply that you care about other people, respect their feelings, and recognize their agency.
The left also employ heavily psychological projection, as well as other dishonest tactics. Perhaps the study needs to go further to identify which ideology is most ‘canceling’ of relationship. I for one, have not ditched any relationships, yet I am a Christian conservative with a number of left leaning friends and family members, albeit none of them fall into the ‘woke’ category. I also do not know of any conservatives who have cut off any relationships yet I know many who have lost relationships with far left leaning family or friends cutting them off. Woke-ness has nothing to do with caring at all. It is self serving and confused, as well as very relativist.
As Oscar Wilde said
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.
Well. If they want to age and die alone then they will age and die alone. Then when they are old they’ll wonder why they are All alone and no family members and friendships.
People with abusive patterns they die alone because they didn’t want to change. They lived in a Me mentality.
Another important point is Most Americans don’t have Jesus. Jesus sets what are really important priorities over what we once was important; he is one’s great redeemer and restorer by showing us the way to peace with others even among people Hell bent to Hell.
Just like there will be None of this organized religions in Heaven only saved people by the blood of Jesus Christ. There will be No republicans, democrats, environmentalists. Conservative, racial groups in heaven. There’ll be no divisions. But for those who remained divided, unforgiven, condemning well He’ll is wide open for all those who put space between them and those whom they were at odds with including people who said they were Christians and didn’t understand fully what Hebrews 10:25 really meant (and it doesn’t mean having perfect attendance in a local organized church building) people who chose isolation over relationships really rejecting having a relationship with the God because of their rejection when God brings true believers in their life and they want to spend time around that outcasted “Christian”
Please put away the Kool Aid, Tina.
Put away your own hallucinogenic Flavor-Aid, Hans. Your screed above shows how far out of phase your thinking is. It isn’t MAGA causing the Hecklers Veto to be employed at colleges nationwide, as those institutions are not controlled by MAGA You’ve been breathing your own bowel gasses too long, get some oxygen!
“Democrats were more likely to initiate the split.”
.
The party of “tolerance and inclusion.”
It goes both ways.
MAGA people (you know the people who literally their homes and cars are literally temples and shrines of America, Trump, and patriotism they are just as emotional.
The only thing that’ll will push me away from any relative and aqaintance, co worker is if they tell me “ don’t talk about Jesus it makes them feel uncomfortable” for a Jesus Follower He is your identity and they might as well be saying stop breathing and die. It’s painful. It’s shocking and you just don’t want to be around them after that. . That’s the only thing that’ll separate me from another.
Democrats: The party of hate and violence,
Indeed. The democrat party: the party of slavery, Jim Crow and dei racism.
They forget nothing and learn nothing, but always obsess about race.
Democrat men and women tend to be much more sexually loose that Republicans. That said, Republican men will seek out Democrat women for some temporary action. But to stick with a Democrat woman usually ends up poorly for the Republican man. Alternatively, a Democrat man and a Republican woman probably has a better chance of success. However, it usually leads to some kind of abuse or alcoholism for the woman. eg…. James Carville and Mary Matellin.
Luckily, thankfully, I haven’t lost any relationships though a few have cooled. I made a personal rule in 2020 to not talk about divisive issues with family members who I knew either could not have a conversation in good faith or little would be gained from having one. It has been tricky a few times, but generally has been good policy. A surprising result has been a few family members have come to me and had productive conversations on topics I did not think they could reasonably talk about.
As best we can- family over politics for the long term win.
People just refuse to heed President Trump’s calls for national unity. He’s been the most magnanimous winner (three times!) and the left hates him for it. His message of respect and love for thy neighbor anger and confuse the left. Like Jesus, President Trump has called for us to be better to one another, to love thy neighbor. No, President Trump is not Jesus, he is not the son of God, but he is God’s vessel for us today, just as Jesus was 2000 years ago. People need to unify under President Trump or face the wrath of God!
Snowflakes gonna melt.
I don’t know if it’s so much the politics as it is the mental illness that is associated with one particular side of politics. This is what drives that wedge.
Here’s a concept. When a family member, co-worker, loved one, or friend wants to start a conversation, tell them there are two subjects you NEVER discuss – politics and religion. If the persist, just turn around and walk away. If they choose to ignore you, it’s on them, not you. If I didn’t know any better, I would think this country is re-living the days of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. What a shame to lose friendships because of one person’s perspective versus another.
Here’s another concept:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
It’s really all one needs.
Wow we agree on something. Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31.
Amen Hans. I’ve used this on family members and friends as they have done unto me. Thank you for the verse reminder.
Blame must be apportioned in equal measure to conflict entrepreneurs posing as journalists (Rupert Murdoch is the worst, but there are many), and Donald J. Trump, who thrives on divisiveness, having been weaned on it by his reprehensible father.
#Restoredecency.
#Restorecompetency
There is a difference between leaning left and ‘woke’. I have many friends and some family members who do lean left but employ logic and reason and can actually have a conversation. I think many, or most, who still adhere to the Democrat party fall into that category and do not buy into the vitriol, false premises and insanity being pushed by leftist extremist groups, much of what is also being pushed on us through news sources, sadly giving us all a distorted perspective. This also occurs both ways.
Therapist: any history of mental illness in your family?
Me: I have an aunt who voted for Trump 3 times.
Give Auntie a big hug from us at Alaska Story. Sounds like you are the mental midget, Damon.
Its why he needs the therapist
Sadly Chuck TDS is way above and beyond any therapy.
It is more likely to heal a heroine addict from their daily fix.
I’ve never seen anyone addicted to female heroes (heroines)