Politics Splits Friends, Families, and Relationships

More than a third of Americans have lost relationships with friends, family members, romantic partners, or others due to political differences, according to a study. Mertcan Güngör and Peter Ditto examined survey data from thousands of American adults to explore the interpersonal consequences of political polarization in the United States. In 2025, some 37% of Americans reported having experienced a political breakup—a percentage that appears to have increased since 2016. Of those who reported a political breakup, 62% had a breakup with a friend, 40% with a family member, 29% with a coworker, and 10% with a romantic partner. Democrats were more likely than Republicans to report having had a political breakup and being the initiator of one. The authors also found that people who lost relationships over politics tended to have particularly negative feelings about their political opponents, overestimate the extremity of their opponents' political views, and think their opponents had selfish motives. According to the authors, "bridge-burning" over politics can harm both democracy and individual well-being, contributing to increased polarization and loneliness.