A new poll claims Americans are more split politically than ever before -- including during the Civil War. But are we? Maybe we just know more about our neighbors' politics than ever before.
Rice political science professor Mark Jones says social media isn't helping.
"It places people's politics in the forefront and leads to people effectively sorting and living within echo chambers where people seek out and interact with people who share the same beliefs as them."
Before Facebook and Twitter you might not have known how distant friends voted but now you're hit over the head with it on a daily basis.
Professor Jones says if it seems TV news is too far left, it's because the major television networks too often reflect the viewpoints of a small group of New York elites.
Professor Jones says the network bosses are democrats.
"The network media is controlled by a small group of people who live in Manhattan and therefore they tend to view the world very differently than people outside of New York City."
The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll surveyed 1,200 people from August 5-9.