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'May get worse before it gets better' | Experts warn political polarization will deepen after election

On Flashpoint, two local professors share skepticism over the nation's political tone.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two Charlotte-area political professors are warning that the country's current political polarization will only get worse after Tuesday's midterm election.

"I think we are in a pendulum swing right now. I think it may get worse before it gets better. But there's always the hope that the pendulum will swing back," Scott Huffmon, professor of politics at Winthrop University, said.

RELATED: Midterm Elections: Breaking down the U.S. House of Representatives in NC

"But not the soon future," Huffmon warned.

In recent years, US politics have turned to vitriolic, partisan, and even violent rhetoric. Experts say there's a lack of trust in our basic institutions.

"I think there's been a steady decline in trust in government," Susan Roberts, professor of politics at Davidson College, said.

MORE NEWS: Why TV stations cannot 'censor' a candidate's political ad

Like Huffmon, Roberts doesn't expect the political tone to change after this midterms or anytime soon.

"I can't see it changing in 2024," Roberts said.

SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW SUNDAY AT 11 A.M. ON FLASHPOINT, ONLY ON WCNC CHARLOTTE.

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