Mapping the Evolution of a Wicked Problem: Sociopolitical Polarization in Pittsburgh
by Team Co-Evolution: Jen Brown, Jiyu Kwag, Brian Mathews, Revati Naniwadekar, Zoe So
Carnegie Mellon University, Transition Design Seminar 2024
Pittsburgh, commonly known as the “Steel City,” is renowned for its historical significance in mining, manufacturing, and heavy industry. Today, Pittsburgh is recognized for its transformation from an industrial hub into a city emphasizing a knowledge-based economy focusing on health, technology, and education. Despite these advancements, issues of discrimination, poverty, and divisions persist, leading to social and political polarization.
In our first assignment, we explored this polarization, viewing it as a multifaceted wicked problem. We examined its social, technological, economic, environmental, and political dimensions, recognizing that these interrelated factors exacerbate the issue. Our second assignment involved identifying and analyzing various stakeholders entangled in this systemic problem, aiming to understand their fears, concerns, and aspirations. These exercises have enabled us to gain a more nuanced perspective on how polarization currently exists in Pittsburgh.
Multi-Level Perspective Framework
For our third assignment, we trace the evolution of polarization using the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework. This approach allowed us to explore the dynamics of change within the city and understand the interplay of various factors over an extended period of time.
The MLP offers a structured way to consider historical transformations, providing a three lay process. First, there’s the landscape layer, which is the broad backdrop of our society, shaped by cultural trends, political movements, and economic patterns. Then comes the regime layer, representing the established order or the status quo, which is deeply rooted and supported by existing technologies, social norms, and laws or regulations. Lastly, we have the niche layer, the catalyst of innovation, where new ideas and technologies emerge and grow. Fundamentally, the MLP suggests that significant changes occur from the interplay among these layers, challenging and eventually transforming the established order.
For our analysis, we utilized a wide array of secondary sources to identify and pinpoint critical events, trends, laws, and influential factors. We organized this content chronologically, as well as across the three layers of the MLP. Several recurring and interrelated themes emerged frequently during our discussions:
- Industrial and Economic Polarization
- Political and Ideological Polarization
- Immigration
We tagged these significant topics across our timeline to trace their enduring impact and the overarching narrative through different time periods. Below is a high-level summary and analysis of this polarization spanning across four distinct eras in Pittsburgh’s history:
Revolutionary Era, 1750s to 1850s
During this period, the newly formed United States crafted its constitution and experienced swift industrial growth. Despite embracing the principle that “All men are created equal,” the nation grappled with the contradiction of permitting slavery. This tension ultimately culminated in the Civil War, which ended the practice of slavery but came at a tremendous cost in terms of human lives.
Industrial and Economic Polarization
Innovation in new and efficient ways of manufacturing and abundant natural resources caused rapid industrial growth. With easy access to coal, iron ore, and oil, Pittsburgh became an industrial behemoth. Rising economy attracted immigrants especially from Europe. While the northeastern states primarily engaged in processing raw materials and manufacturing goods using cheap labor, the south took advantage of its climate to engage in farming using African slaves. These events on the landscape level caused an economic polarization in the regime. The wealth gap between the rich industrialist and poor laborer started getting wider.
Political and Ideological Polarization
The Northern and Southern states had diverged significantly in social, economic, and political terms. The North had shifted towards industrial and commercial activities, while the South remained primarily agrarian. However, the most crucial distinction lay in the issue of African-American slavery. Northerners tended to oppose the expansion of slavery, with some advocating for its complete abolition. Conversely, Southerners sought to maintain and even extend the institution, viewing it as essential for their economy, particularly due to the pivotal role of cotton in generating profits for the region. This disagreement over slavery became the central focus of a mounting political crisis, reflecting deeper societal divisions.
Following the 1860 election of Republican Abraham Lincoln to the presidency, eleven southern states seceded from the Federal Union in 1861 which led to the American civil war. At the end of the war, Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation which abolished slavery in all the states.
We can observe that these radical events on the landscape level did not flow smoothly into the regime or the niche. Many white Americans had centered their identity around being superior to the blacks and actively prevented free blacks from becoming the status quo of the regime. In the niche we can see this manifesting in the rise of white supremacists terrorist groups like the KKK and the White league led by the former confederate leaders.
Pittsburgh’s industry attracted many freedmen who moved north seeking safety and economic opportunity.
Steel City, 1850s to 1950s
Industrial and Economic Polarization
Situated in a region abundant in farming and mineral resources, Pittsburgh attracted immigrants from Europe, seeking opportunities for better work and better lives. The latter half of the 1800’s brought significant economic growth to the city, changing the regime to one mills, mines, oil fields, and factories. The discovery of oil near Pittsburgh and iron ore in the Great Lake Region accelerated industrialization for the city. Andrew Carnegie, already a wealthy industrialist in the railroad industry, became one of the early adopters of the bessemer process, propelling him into prominence in the steel industry. Additionally Charles Martin Hall discovered an effective way to refine aluminum, starting the company which would become Alcoa. The niche industrial businesses accelerated quickly into the landscape, becoming part of everyday life. Pittsburgh capitalized on the manufacturing demands of the military during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II, benefiting from these periods of heightened production and solidifying them into the regime.
Political and Ideological Polarization
The expansion of industries, however, came with significant costs. Workers faced unfair treatment, exemplified by the Homewood Strike of 1892, which highlighted the frustrations of mill workers regarding livable wages. The strike came from the union at the niche level, which played out on a landscape level with the industry baron. Andrew Carnegie’s intention to reduce workers’ pay for the second consecutive year, despite his multimillion-dollar profits, exacerbated tensions. Not only did he succeed in suppressing wage increases, but he also dismantled the steelworkers union, maintaining a strong hold in the regime of Pittsburgh. The company benefited from discriminatory laws, paying Black workers significantly less than their white counterparts. Less than a decade later, Carnegie Steel merged with several other companies to form US Steel, the world’s first billion-dollar corporation.
Racism and discrimination existed at various levels of government, not only in Pittsburgh but across the nation. Following the Civil War, the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) targeted freed Blacks with threats of violence and death. Although there was a sweeping regime change that ended slavery, niche organizations opposed to the change popped up. Discriminatory practices permeated the landscape level also, leading to the enactment of race-based laws. For instance, in 1891, the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited Chinese immigration to the United States. Concurrently, the Immigration Act, established by the Treasury, was tasked with monitoring and regulating immigration, including the expulsion of undesirable individuals.
Interconnections
During this time the establishment of industry was the biggest and most powerful economic player in the regime. The three wars that occurred during this time only helped solidify the industries in Pittsburgh, leading to global reliance on their products. While changes at niche levels percolated to landscape, they did not disrupt the regime, rather then reinforced it. Immigration provided a dedicated workforce. The emancipation of enslaved people also contributed to an influx of laborers to the region. The entrenched regime was only strengthened by local and global influences, maintaining its stability and power.
Deindustrialization & Economic Transition, 1950s to 2000s
Industrial and Economic Polarization
As the tides of deindustrialization swept across the United States from the 1950s through the end of the 20th century, Pittsburgh, once the steel heartland, faced an existential economic reckoning. The global shift towards service-oriented economies and the concurrent decline of American manufacturing created a landscape in which old industries faded and new ones struggled to emerge.
In the face of these sweeping changes, Pittsburgh’s entrenched industrial regime — the networks of steel manufacturers, labor unions, and the socio-economic ecosystem supporting them — battled against the decline. Attempts to preserve the steel industry clashed with emerging economic realities, leading to deep economic polarization as old jobs disappeared and new opportunities were scarce.
However, from these challenges, new niches arose. Innovation began to take root in the form of budding tech firms and a burgeoning healthcare sector, initiated by local visionaries and educational institutions. This nascent diversification of Pittsburgh’s economy hinted at a future beyond steel, albeit one that was not yet fully realized by the close of the millennium.
Political and Ideological Polarization
During the same period, the political landscape was characterized by the Cold War’s onset and its culmination, the civil rights movement, and the shifting sands of party politics. Pittsburgh mirrored the national trend towards increasing political polarization, as once-solid Democratic loyalties began to fray, and conservative ideologies found new footholds.
Pittsburgh’s political regime, dominated by the Democratic Party, found itself at a crossroads as the socio-economic base that had underpinned its authority eroded. The city’s strong labor roots were challenged by the new economy’s demands, leading to political realignment and ideological strife within the community.
In response, niche political movements and advocacy groups began to appear, representing environmental interests, tech sector priorities, and educational reform, among others. These groups, often led by a younger generation less tied to the city’s industrial past, began to push Pittsburgh’s political discourse in new directions.
Interconnections
The interplay between economic transformation and political realignment was complex and multifaceted. As economic opportunities shifted, so too did demographic patterns, with some areas experiencing depopulation while others saw new types of growth. Immigration, once the lifeblood of Pittsburgh’s industrial might, began to change in character. Newcomers were as likely to be academics, doctors, or tech entrepreneurs as they were to be steelworkers. This influx of new talent and perspectives became both a source of innovation and a point of contention, contributing to the city’s political and ideological evolution.
In conclusion, Pittsburgh’s journey through the latter half of the 20th century was marked by profound changes in industry, economics, and politics. The city’s identity was forged in the furnaces of its steel mills, but as those mills went quiet, a new Pittsburgh began to emerge. Through the interwoven fabric of landscape, regime, and niche developments, the city navigated the turbulent waters of deindustrialization and emerged with the seeds of a new economy and a new politics — poised for the challenges of a new century.
The Internet Age, 2000s to current
The period from 2000 to the present day, or the “internet age,” marks an era of dramatically increasing sociopolitical polarization in Pittsburgh and the United States. This polarization has been shaped by various factors, including technological advancements, economic crises, and shifts in the political rhetoric.
Industrial and Economic Polarization
The burst of the dot-com bubble in 2000 signaled the beginning of a turbulent economic era, characterized by rapid technological change coupled with increasing uncertainty around the stability of the technology and financial sectors. This period saw the rise of the tech sector, notably in Pittsburgh, which transformed from an industrial city to a hub for innovation, technology, and higher education. However, this economic shift also contributed to new forms of economic divides, as not all communities benefited equally from the tech boom, leading to disparities in wealth and opportunities.
The Great Recession of 2008 further exacerbated economic polarization, undermining trust in financial and political institutions and fueling disillusionment with the establishment. The Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010 amplified the effect of the economy on polarization by allowing unprecedented levels of special interest and corporate money into politics, notably through Super PACs, pushing parties’ political platforms toward ideological extremes and increasing the divide between the economic interests of Americans and those of the political and corporate elites.
The tumultuous economy in the 2000s gave way to the rise of the Tea Party in 2009, a right-wing political movement that called for a reduction in the role of government. The Tea Party movement “died” by 2016, but its ideas became absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party and had strong ties to the rise of MAGA Republicanism.
Political and Ideological Polarization
The political landscape during this era is marked by increasing ideological division, a trend that was significantly influenced by the rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, which centered around immigration, jobs, national security, and “draining the swamp” of corruption in Washington, DC, resonated with a base that felt ignored by the mainstream political discourse. This period also saw the rise of social media as a powerful tool for political engagement, albeit one that amplifies polarization by creating echo chambers and spreading misinformation.
The January 6th insurrection epitomized the extreme levels of distrust and division, rooted in misinformation spread by Trump and MAGA Republicans. Similarly, local events like the 2019 anti-Semitic attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh underscores how national political trends exacerbate local tensions and contribute to acts of violence.
The political and ideological polarization is not limited to national politics; regions like southwestern Pennsylvania experienced significant shifts, with traditionally Democratic-voting suburbs trending more Republican and a statewide trend in which Republicans have become more conservative and Democrats have more liberal in the last two decades. This is further complicated by issues like gerrymandering, which has majorly influenced electoral outcomes in Pennsylvania.
Interconnections
Niche-level innovations often serve as catalysts for broader transformations at the regime and landscape levels. For example, the investment in technological advancements from institutions like Carnegie Mellon University not only positioned Pittsburgh as a tech and innovation hub but also contributed to a broader economic transition in the city. These advancements influenced local government policies favoring tech and innovation, reflecting a regime-level shift toward supporting the knowledge economy. This shift represents a broader landscape transformation, where industrial cities like Pittsburgh evolve into modern tech centers.
The rise of social media and its impact on polarization is another niche-level development with regime and landscape implications. While platforms such as Facebook were initially celebrated for their potential to enhance democratic engagement, recent investigations have revealed the potential of these media platforms to create echo chambers, spread misinformation, and deepen sociopolitical divides. This has informed regime-level discussions on technology policy and privacy, and its role in democracy.
Conversely, broad regime and landscape shifts have significant impacts on niche developments. The national polarization exemplified by the rise of MAGA influences local-level politics and social dynamics. In Pittsburgh, the broader national political climate has affected local ideological divides, as seen in debates over abortion rights and the Israel-Hamas conflict in county elections, issues that traditionally would not dominate local political discourse.
Conclusion
Looking across Pittsburgh’s history, we see a city that has continuously evolved, reflecting larger trends and changes in the United States. Transitioning from an industrial powerhouse to a modern tech-med-edu hub, we traced the deep-rooted issues of division and disagreement.
Employing the MLP framework, our research unveiled layers of change and challenge. We noted that economic disparities, especially between workers and business owners, have consistently fostered tension. Politically, disagreements have transitioned from historical concerns like slavery to contemporary issues such as globalization, climate change, and free speech — yet the division remains significant.
Pittsburgh’s character and workforce have been molded by waves of immigration, initially spurred by peak industrial demands and later by opportunities in emerging knowledge sectors, reflecting shifts in the city’s economic base and cultural diversity.
Our look into the past provides clues on how to address divisions today and in the future. It reminds us to consider all sides of a problem and bring stakeholders together to explore different perspectives. Understanding Pittsburgh’s history enables us to grasp the forces that have shaped and persist in exacerbating social and political tensions.
This assignment not only enhances our comprehension of the intricate dynamics of our wicked problem, but it also provides us with a glimpse into the roots of societal division. Our map encourages us to consider these connected issues more systematically, which can help us navigate the complexities of an increasingly polarized world. And work toward developing a more equitable, sustainable, and viable path forward.
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