America is seemingly more divided than ever. “Interpolitical marriage,” or marriage between people of different political parties, is becoming increasingly rarer. A 2020 study found that only 21% of couples were politically mixed. And only 4% of those couples were Democrats and Republicans. This trend has happened across relationships, putting our democracy in a precarious position.

Due to man-made and instinctual forces beyond our awareness, people with differences are having fewer and fewer (productive) conversations. This has led to increased negative biases and assumptions about the opposing political party and anyone different from us. Lack of exposure to different views makes us more and more divided and further entrenched in our own parties. As the parties become more homogenous, we are losing our nation’s commitment to civil disagreement.

America has always had a divisive nature. Our country was built out of division from England. If we are no stranger to division, why do we seem more divided than ever? And how can we find common ground? It’s not an exaggeration to say the fate of American democracy hangs in the balance. The less we talk with people who are different from us, the less open our minds are to new ideas and compromise. Is the fate of America sealed? Are Americans destined to grow further apart, creating an irreparable rift? 

Ironically, our divisiveness has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we believe we’re divided and different from people on the other side, the more we become divided. But, according to political experts and everyday Americans interviewed in this film, there is hope. If we can generate awareness and understanding of our biases and presuppositions, we can forge a path forward to compromise. That’s where The Space Between comes in.