The Polarization Myth: Public Opinion on Sex, Race, and Schools
By (Author) Jonathan Butcher
By (author) Lindsey M. Burke
Encounter Books,USA
Encounter Books,USA
2nd January 2026
United States
General
Non Fiction
Ethnic groups and multicultural studies
Social discrimination and social justice
Philosophy and theory of education
Educational strategies and policy
Hardback
232
Width 152mm, Height 228mm
If you don't like the idea of a boy who says he is a girl using the girls' bathroom, are you out of step with the mainstream If diversity, equity, and inclusion programs strike you as racist, are you just biased Are you a prude if you do not want sexually explicit books about "gender" in your child's school library
The radical left want you to think that on these hot-button issues, Americans are split down the middle-"polarized." They want you to think that at least half of your fellow citizens hold views that only yesterday everyone considered crazy. And they want to make you afraid of not being on the "enlightened" side.
But it turns out that this polarization is a myth.
We decided to find out how divided we really are and on what issues. So we surveyed more than two thousand Americans, including parents, working-age adults, and adults near or in retirement, and compared the results with our research on public policy.
Jonathan Butcher is the Will Skillman Fellow in Education at The Heritage Foundation. He is the author of Splintered: Critical Race Theory and the Progressive War on Truth (Post Hill/Bombardier Books, April 2022). He co-edited and wrote chapters in The Critical Classroom (The Heritage Foundation, 2022), discussing the racial prejudice that comes from the application of critical race theory in K-12 schools. Jonathan co-edited and wrote chapters in the book The Not-So-Great Society (Heritage Foundation, 2019), which provides conservative solutions to the problems created by the ever-expanding federal footprint in preschool, K-12, and higher education. In 2021, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster nominated Jonathan to serve on the board of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, a statewide charter school authorizer. Lindsey M. Burke, is the Director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where she oversees Heritages research and policy on issues pertaining to preschool, K-12, and higher education reform. She is a frequent guest on radio and television shows and speaks on education reform issues across the country and internationally. She has testified numerous times before state legislatures and has testified six times before the U.S. Congress on a range of education policy issues. She has written chapters in several books, including College at the Crossroads: Taking Sides in Contested Issues (Peter Lang), Champions of Freedom: Markets and Policy (The Ludwig von Mises Institute), and School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom (The Cato Institute). In 2021, Burke was tapped to join Governor-elect Glenn Youngkins transition steering committee and was also appointed to serve on the Youngkin landing team for education. Burke was also appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve on the Board of Visitors for George Mason University. Her term runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026.