Exploring the roots of Republican factionalism in contemporary U.S. politics

Abstract

The Republican Party has experienced significant internal divisions in recent elections, with the 2024 Presidential Primary revealing a party divided between two factions: Donald Trump’s followers, often referred to by his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan; and those that adhere to traditional Republican values that have defined the Grand Old Party (GOP) for decades. While MAGA Republicans still espouse conservative social values, they break away from the party when it comes to their “America First” ideology, another popular Trump slogan. The United States has long been a leader on the world stage, a position that both Democrats and Republicans have found useful to the nation’s foreign policy agenda. However, Trump’s supporters believe the U.S. government should be more focused on domestic issues and advocate for the country’s withdrawal from international treaties and global initiatives. Although this divide points to a difference in financial and political priorities, it fails to explain where such a divide originated. The following paper explores how educational attainment influences ideological leanings and candidate preferences within the party, with a particular focus on the 2024 primaries. Through polling data and historical analysis, I conclude that educational attainment significantly shapes these divisions, finding that recent populist rhetoric has exacerbated this divide. While college-educated Republicans tend to favor traditional GOP values and candidates like Nikki Haley, those with lower levels of educational attainment are more likely to rally behind Donald Trump’s brand of populist nationalism and identity politics. This educational divide has broad implications for the future of the Republican Party and the ideological trajectory of American politics, particularly in regard to recent polarization within and between the Democratic and Republican parties.