Political Polarization in America: A Call for Truth Over Compassion

By Laura Hollis

For two decades, the University of Notre Dame has hosted a yearlong dialogue on a central theme, featuring speakers and public events exploring its implications. This year’s focus is “Cultivating Hope,” which included a recent Q&A session between Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and Rev. Robert Dowd, CSC, president of Notre Dame. The discussion highlighted key gaps in addressing U.S. political polarization.

First, there is insufficient acknowledgment that government expansion fuels division. When state control permeates daily life, governance becomes a zero-sum contest, exacerbating tensions. Reducing bureaucratic reach and empowering individuals could ease strife.

Second, debates often conflate virtues like compassion—personal traits—with policies, which are institutional actions. While compassion is valuable in private interactions, elevating it to policy justification risks chaos. Policies rooted in “compassion” frequently harm the majority, as seen in flawed criminal justice, mental health, and immigration systems.

Third, victims of such policies have legitimate anger toward those responsible. The appropriate response to systemic abuses is not passive compassion but active resistance through lawful means to dismantle harmful structures.

Fourth, the emphasis on compassion often overshadows the need for truth. A society built on deception erodes trust, as seen in manipulated narratives from institutions. Without factual clarity, compassion becomes a tool of control rather than genuine care.

McElroy’s remarks, while thoughtful, overlooked these critical issues, inadvertently contributing to the polarization he sought to address.

Professor Laura Hollis is an attorney and university professor with over three decades of experience in law and business education. Her work has been published in legal journals and syndicated nationally.