The Polarization Dynamic

The challenge of sustaining democracy is complicated by the fact that political engagement exposes citizens to a cognitive and social dynamical force known as belief polarization that leads us to over-ascribe malicious motives, irrational ideas, and extreme commitments to those who we perceive to be political opponents. As we politically interact with our fellow partisans, we come to see those who do not share our political identity as untrustworthy, incompetent, and threatening. This gives rise to the democrat’s dilemma. However, belief polarization also infects our alliances, turning groups of like-minded people into increasingly homogeneous and conformist units that ultimately are internally hierarchical and unstable. The reason we have to sustain democracy with our foes is that unless we do so, we will not be able to sustain democracy among our allies.

The Problem of Polarization

This chapter completes the diagnostic argument by showing how the political saturation of social space contributes to our vulnerability to belief polarization. Belief polarization is the phenomenon by which like-minded individuals transform into more extreme versions of themselves in the wake of group interactions. It is argued that as the belief polarization effect can be prompted by mere corroboration of one’s views (rather than by face-to-face group discussion), politically saturated social environments can generate within us extremity shifts simply in the course of everyday activities. The belief polarization phenomenon initiates a broader polarization dynamic that dissolves citizens’ democratic capacities.

Plasma Deposition and UV Light Induced Surface Grafting Polymerization of NIPAAm on Stainless Steel for Enhancing Corrosion Resistance and Its Drug Delivery Property

When stainless steel is implanted in human bodies, the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility must be considered. In this study, first, a protective organic silicone film was coated on the surface of stainless steel by a plasma deposition technique with a precursor of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSZ). Then, ultraviolet (UV) light-induced graft polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylic acid (AAc) in different molar ratios were applied onto the organic silicone film in order to immobilize thermos-/pH-sensitive composite hydrogels on the surface. The thermo-/pH-sensitive composite hydrogels were tested at pH values of 4, 7.4 and 10 of a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution at a fixed temperature of 37 °C to observe the swelling ratio and drug delivery properties of caffeine which served as a drug delivery substance. According to the results of Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectra and a potential polarization dynamic test, the silicone thin film formed by plasma deposition not only improved the adhesion ability between the substrate and hydrogels but also exhibited a high corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the composite hydrogels have an excellent release ratio of up to 90% of the absorbed amount after 8h at a pH of 10. In addition, the results of potential polarization dynamic tests showed that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel could be improved by the HMDSZ plasma deposition.