Nearly 9 In 10 Local Officials Say Polarization Harms The Nation — Most Don't See It Locally

Nearly nine in 10 local officials now say political polarization is damaging the country, according to a CivicPulse survey of roughly 1,400 city and county leaders conducted in September. But far fewer — about 30% — believe polarization is harming their own communities, a pattern CivicPulse has observed across its multiwave study.

National Concern, Local Resilience

The September poll, the third installment in an Impact of Polarization study commissioned by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, recorded the highest level of national concern in the series: 89% of respondents said polarization is negatively affecting the nation. By contrast, only about 30% said it was harming their local communities. CivicPulse found that perceptions of local harm rise with community size: officials from jurisdictions with populations over 50,000 were more likely to report a “great deal” of negative effects (41%) than leaders in smaller places (28%).

Context Matters

CivicPulse and respondents tied the September increase in national concern to a charged political climate and several widely reported incidents of political violence and a prolonged federal budget impasse. Nathan Lee, CivicPulse's founder and managing director, described the persistence of worry about national polarization as striking given how rapidly events have shifted over the last year.

“The consistency of that is pretty remarkable given how much change we’ve seen in the country,” Lee told NBC News, adding that high-profile events and public reactions likely contributed to the rise in concern.

Where Local Life Holds Steady

Despite national alarm, many municipal leaders told CivicPulse and NBC News that everyday community life remains resilient. Officials repeatedly pointed to local institutions where residents gather regularly — K–12 schools, sports leagues, libraries and parks — as places that encourage civic participation and reduce partisan friction.

“For the most part, we all want the same fundamentals — safe neighborhoods, good schools, jobs and opportunities for kids,” said Grant Hinson, mayor of Biscoe, North Carolina. Tamaya Loewe, a township supervisor in Germantown, Wisconsin, echoed that small-community ties — churches, schools, sports — help people work together despite political differences.

Which Institutions Matter Most

When asked which local institutions most effectively foster civic participation and blunt polarization, officials rated K–12 schools highest. Eighty-three percent said schools foster civic engagement a great deal, a lot, or a moderate amount. Sports leagues (70%), law enforcement agencies, public libraries and local parks (each 64%), and colleges and universities (62%) were also cited as important.

Louise Richardson, president of the Carnegie Corporation, noted these institutions are often present in most communities and provide ready-made infrastructure for civic life: “Schools, sports clubs, libraries, parks — these are areas where polarization is mitigated and where people can participate.”

Youth Participation And Digital Tools

Local leaders strongly support youth-focused civic activities: large majorities said getting young people to attend local government meetings (87%), volunteer in elections (80%), or consider local office (80%) are important ways to counter polarization and build civic habits. Yet CivicPulse found implementation gaps: only about half of communities offer youth participation opportunities, and just 18% offer election-volunteering options for young people.

Digital engagement tools are unevenly available. Between 32% and 40% of communities lack common online services such as meeting calendars, recordings and livestreams. Fewer than one in three local governments use data dashboards or online surveys to solicit resident input. Confidence in artificial intelligence for civic engagement was low: roughly 21% said AI tools were effective, and only about 3% reported using AI to engage residents.

Practical Takeaways

Officials point to scalable, local solutions: expand youth civic programming, strengthen ubiquitous local institutions (especially schools), and broaden adoption of straightforward digital tools like meeting livestreams and calendars. CivicPulse researchers highlight that many of these options require local initiative more than state or federal action.

“There’s room to act in ways that seem promising for creating positive civic participation across backgrounds,” Lee said. Local examples such as Youth Leadership Montgomery — a program Mayor Hinson credits with sparking his interest in public service — illustrate how youth engagement can produce long-term civic benefits.

This article is based on findings shared by CivicPulse and interviews with local officials and Carnegie Corporation representatives, as reported to NBC News.