TITLE:
Socio-Political Issues Facing the United States: Democracy, Polarization, Inequality, Institutional Trust, and the Politicization of the Supreme Court
AUTHORS:
Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay
KEYWORDS:
Political Polarization, Supreme Court, Democracy, Institutional Trust, Inequality, Governance, United States, Socio-Political Issues
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: The United States faces a convergence of socio-political challenges that threaten democratic stability, economic cohesion, and social trust. This paper examines the most pressing issues confronting the nation, including political polarization, democratic backsliding, economic inequality, racial and social fragmentation, immigration disputes, misinformation, declining public confidence in institutions, and the growing politicization of the Supreme Court. Recent judicial decisions involving abortion rights, presidential immunity, voting rights, affirmative action, and executive authority have intensified perceptions of ideological bias within the judiciary and contributed to declining institutional legitimacy. Drawing from analyses produced by major think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Chicago Council on Global Affairs, this essay argues that democratic resilience depends on institutional reform, civic education, economic inclusion, judicial accountability, and renewed bipartisan cooperation. The paper concludes that these socio-political pressures are interconnected structural challenges requiring comprehensive long-term national strategies.