Almost all discussions of polarization in political science consider it in the context of political parties and the democratic system of government. When polarization occurs in a two-party system, moderate voices often lose their power and influence. Political polarization concerns cases in which an individual's position on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be defined by their identification with a particular political party, such as a Democrat or Republican. Polarization as a state refers to the extent to which opinions on an issue oppose each other relative to a theoretical maximum. As a process, it refers to the increase in opposition over time. Some political scientists argue that polarization requires deviation on a wide range of issues based on a consistent set of beliefs, while others argue that it occurs when there are sharp divisions of opinion or ideology. Political scientists distinguish two types of political polarization, popular polarization and elite polarization. . Popular polarization occurs when polarization occurs within the electorate and the general public and elite polarization occurs within political elites, such as party organizers and elected officials. Opinions and political positions are characterized by strict loyalty to partisan lines. Popular polarization and elite polarization can occur simultaneously or independently. The central question in the study of political polarization is to study the relationship between the two. Political scientists have identified various causes of political polarization, including political parties, public political ideology, and the media. Researchers say divergent parties have been one of the driving forces behind polarization, as political platforms have... paper...... made appointees as safe as possible and won as many seats as possible, to result in elected officials who represent a coherent electorate, which results in more extremist candidates and fewer moderates. Redistricting projects have been so political that most have resulted in lawsuits. States should move toward nonpartisan or bipartisan redistricting commissions, such as in Iowa or Arizona. Another proposal is that there should be active review of institutional performance. This proposal comes from the military, who constantly monitor the performance of their institutions and units. The government should take a similar approach to its institutions and programs, measuring them against standards and then working to fix them. Our current system emphasizes denial of problems for political purposes, then bursts of argument and finger-pointing when something goes wrong..