Editing Political polarization (section)

====Effect on public trust====
{{Further|Post-truth politics}}
Perniciously polarized societies often witness public [[Controversy|controversies]] over factually provable questions. During this process, [[fact]]s and moral truths increasingly lose their weight, as more people [[Conformity|conform]] to the messages of their own bloc. Social and political actors such as [[journalist]]s, [[Academic staff|academics]], and [[politician]]s either become engaged in [[Partisan (politics)|partisan]] storytelling or else incur growing [[social]], [[Politics|political]], and [[Economics|economic]] costs. Electorates lose confidence in [[Public institution (United States)|public institutions]]. Support for norms and [[democracy]] decline. It becomes increasingly difficult for people to act in a [[Morality|morally principled]] fashion by appealing to the [[truth]] or acting in line with one's [[Value (ethics)|values]] when it conflicts with one's party interests.<ref name=":9" /> Once pernicious polarization takes hold, it takes on a life of its own, regardless of earlier [[intention]]s.<ref name=":5" />