Partisanship is omnipresent in American politics. Every political party has their own political agenda. Their competition should drive the nation forward, not the other way around. The year 2022 has witnessed several outbreaks of partisan hostility between the Democrats and the Republicans. The two major parties fought over issues that people are concerned the most about, which has led the country nowhere but to an increasingly divided situation.

First on gun violence, Democrats support gun control while Republicans assert their rights to arm against gun violence, some even suggesting that teachers should carry guns to protect their students. Every time after a mass shooting incident, the topic of gun control would become the hot-button topic of public discussion. Nonetheless, little has changed afterwards. The issue of curbing gun violence has been in stalemate for decades, trapped in a hyper-partisan morass.

Next on abortion right, the U.S. Supreme Court has gotten embroiled in partisan split after overturning the Roe v. Wade decision earlier this summer. Then striking down New York's 109-year-old gun control law and curbing the U.S. government's ability to combat climate change, the U.S. Supreme Court has descended into a battlefield of partisan combat, which is placing judicial justice and independence at stake.

Then on immigration, when Democrats lifted border restrictions, Republicans, who favor tighter border policies, sent asylum-seekers to the Democrats-run areas in return ‒ three buses loaded with some 140 immigrants were driven near U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' home in the capital on Christmas Eve, accusing them of not doing enough to stop immigrants crossing the border while Democrats criticized Republicans for "playing politics with human beings." Facing the humanitarian crisis, they have laid the blame on each other.

Furthermore, the mid-term elections in November have exacerbated the hyper-partisan fights, and both the sides were trying to attack each other. Being so obsessed with elections polls that they nearly forgot they were elected to seek welfare for the masses, even taking advantage of issues of gun-control, abortion right, immigration and climate change for their own campaigns, while ignoring the inflation was at a 40-year-high, gun violence and racism were on the rise.

Things have not changed after mid-term elections. As Democrats retain control of the Senate and Republicans retake the House of Representatives, a divided U.S. Congress is the best place for a simmering partisan rivalry.

Partisanship has a profound impact on society. As hyper-partisan hostility increases, American society and the public are facing a severe split. The United States of America has become the Divided States of America. With the endless race between the two parties, how far would the U.S. democracy walk?

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