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Common sense has long been a running platform used in American government. The current administration claims that President Donald Trump is “restoring common sense to government,” and the President has used the phrase “common sense” in a multitude of speeches as well as executive orders (White House, 2025). The emphasis on common sense is a populist tactic used to unite an “us versus them” conflict. The easiest way to do this is to create a divide between the elite and the rest of the population. This not only increases polarization within the population on political and cultural topics but also leads to an anti-intellectual sentiment that defies proven fact in favor of political gain and animosity against opposers.

Political ignorance has long plagued American politics, which is consistent with the overstated and irrational confidence present in American media and culture. In politics specifically, ignorance is often displayed as a rejection of proven fact in favor of the opinion and beliefs already held. Anti-intellectualism is an attitude growing in the United States of mistrust and opposition to academia and education, often displayed as an outright rejection of facts or empirical evidence. This trend is mostly concentrated to the far right due to the perceived disdain by highly educated or elitist leftists (Baker, Detamble, and Marrietta, 2021, 40). This perception is largely due to the structure of the education system, where access to a quality, formal education is often associated with wealth (Luse, 2025, 8:02). While formal education is not the only way to receive practical knowledge, it is an invaluable opportunity to create a civically engaged population.

A study published by professors at American �Թ��� investigating the prevalence of epistemic hubris—unchanging certitude in feelings toward policy despite a lack of evidence—discovered its presence on both sides of the American political spectrum (Baker, Detamble, and Marrietta, 2021, 40). Intellectualism on the left and anti-intellectualism on the right encourage an unwarranted certainty in opinions in both voters and policy makers that increases the polarization between the two parties. Polarization is a major issue currently faced by Americans in both the policymaking and voting populations. Not only does legislative gridlock make it harder to pass any legislation, but lawmakers and citizens are now less and less tolerant of dissenting opinions that are essential to democracy.

Media illiteracy is another factor that drives both anti-intellectualism and polarization. News is now seen as subjective and can come from a variety of unchecked and unfiltered sources. The central tenet of a democracy to find common ground is becoming increasingly uncommon with higher rates of government and voter polarization. Social media is a primary culprit, making it harder to tolerate those with opposing views. Algorithms and machine learning are taught to produce the type of content that the viewer is already seeking out, making the polarization worse (Bouygues, 2022). Poor media literacy makes it easier to believe false or erroneous information, and in combination with the disengagement of those with dissenting views, it diminishes critical thinking skills and toleration of other opinions. In a society where unchanging beliefs without evidence are trending, debates devolve into clashes between parties rather than evidence-based disagreement and the willful ignorance of fact, proliferating anti-intellectual sentiment.

Although the rejection of education and information is dangerous in most aspects, there can be benefits to anti-intellectual attitudes. Economic policies formulated by the wealthy elite in a nation with such income inequality can often leave behind lower and middle classes and increase frustration with policymakers. This can be another major source of polarization for voters. However, if gone about correctly, anti-intellectualism can serve the left-behind communities and those who are unequally paying the costs of change and trade policies (Waters and Dionne, 2019). This is evident in the Populist movement of the 1880s, where reforms increased political opportunities and gave power to ordinary people through favoring common sense rather than formal education. This decreased the elitist detachment and pushed for a healthy skepticism of policymakers (Waters and Dionne, 2019).

However, this is the minority of anti-intellectual thought. Anti-intellectual attitudes can manifest either in impatience and frustration or outright opposition to facts. Frustration can lead to change; opposition to fact leads to a mistrust of institutions set up to encourage the engagement of citizens in a democracy (Waters and Dionne, 2019). ��Secondly, anti-intellectual thought within poor or undereducated communities isn’t the major issue with the anti-intellectual trend. The present issue lies with the current administration’s denial of truth and departure from facts that alienate voters from one another and undermine the institutions set forth to protect democracy. Not only does it harm the reputation of protective institutions, but the push toward anti-intellectualism and against elites is coming from wealthy, educated elites within the government, which increases the polarization between parties. This leads voters to make less informed decisions and rely on party lines that reject fact. The U.S. is experiencing an epidemic of illiteracy among young people, encouraged by “a culture that demonizes education” and is led by an elitist who “proudly proclaims his love for the uneducated” (Garriga, 2024).

With media illiteracy and undereducation on the rise, understanding anti-intellectual sentiment is essential to limiting polarization and keeping democracy healthy. Anti-intellectualism, promoted by the head of the nation, is an authoritarian move that could jeopardize democracy by further increasing the polarization within voters and policymakers, leading to a divided society.

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References

Barker, D. C., Detamble, R., & Marietta, M. (2021). Intellectualism, Anti-Intellectualism, and Epistemic Hubris in Red and Blue America. American Political Science Review, 116(1), 1–16.
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Bouygues, H. L. (2022). Reducing Polarization Through Critical Thinking and Common Ground. Forbes.
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Garriga, N. (2024). Anti-Intellectualism Is on the Rise in America. Fordham Political Review.
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Luse, B. (2025). Intellectuals vs. The Internet: It’s Been a Minute. NPR.
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The White House. (2025). President Trump Is Restoring Common Sense to Government. The White House.
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Waters, A. (2019). Is Anti-Intellectualism Ever Good for Democracy? - Dissent Magazine. Dissent Magazine.
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