The United States is currently in a state of anomie due to deep distrust of institutions and rampant partisanship, and distrust and hatred among the social groups. Firstly, the population of America is deeply divided and disintegrated along partisan lines. One side of the population is republicans, associated with the far-right and conservative values. In contrast, the other side is democrats, who often associate themselves with far-leftism and progressive values. Due to partisanship and polarization, citizens of America cannot agree on what social values should be emphasized.
Moreover, since people disagree on shared social values, they distrust institutions that do not embrace the importance of one’s side. Democrats and Black Lives Matter protesters believe that institutions are discriminating against racial minorities. Meanwhile, far-right groups believe that current institutions are neglecting the rights of the white, working class. Since people do not trust the state institutions, they are more trustful of other illegitimate actors. This problem led to the massive dissemination of fake news, conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination movements, the storming of Capitol Hill, and other events in the US over the last year. In addition, there is a massive distrust and hatred among the social groups. Each group is ready to engage in violence and aggression against the other side if it helps promote their cause, leading to the erosion of moral standards. This situation entailed a state of anomie in the US, where society is disorganized, disintegrated, and the rule of law and ethical norms lost their value.
