Steffen Mau et al., "The Trigger Points: Inequality and Political Polarization in Contemporary Society" (Policy Press, 2026)

About this episode

The episode discusses the nuanced views of ordinary citizens on political polarization and inequality, as explored in the book 'The Trigger Points'.

Today’s political debates are fiercely polarized. But looking beyond the headlines, The Trigger Points: Inequality and Political Polarization in Contemporary Society (Policy Press, 2026) shows that ordinary citizens hold much more nuanced, less divided views. Drawing on rich survey data and group discussions, this work maps four major areas of conflict: migration, climate change, diversity, and economic justice. Across these conflicts, most citizens take positions that are middle-of-the-road, contradictory, or undecided. It is only certain ‘trigger points' – like gendered pronouns or refugee admissions – that predictably ignite tensions and deep disagreement. Political entrepreneurs know this and weaponize trigger points for their agenda. Yet the real key to contemporary conflicts, the book argues, lies in social inequality. This is a vital work that maps today’s political landscape without sensationalism, offering a fresh lens on public debate. This interview was conducted by Dr. Hannah Pool, a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Studies of Societies. Her research focuses on human mobilities and her new book has been published in 2025 by Oxford University…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Hannah Pool

Guest: Steffen Mau

Topics covered

• political polarization
• inequality
• migration
• climate change
• diversity
• economic justice

Keywords

• political debates
• trigger points
• social inequality
• public debate
• survey data
• group discussions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Max Planck Institute for the Studies of Societies, Policy Press, Oxford University Press

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