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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-political-science-408770/steffen-mau-et-al-the-trigger-points-inequality-and-political-polarization-in-contemporary-society-policy-press-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-political-science-408770/steffen-mau-et-al-the-trigger-points-inequality-and-political-polarization-in-contemporary-society-policy-press-2026.md
Podcast: [New Books in Political Science](https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-political-science-408770)
Published: 2026-05-08T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK9055713187.mp3?updated=1778134061
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK9055713187.mp3?updated=1778134061
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-political-science-408770/episodes/steffen-mau-et-al-the-trigger-points-inequality-and-political-polarization-in-contemporary-society-policy-press-2026
Duration seconds: 3698

## Resource

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 Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-political-science-408770/episodes/steffen-mau-et-al-the-trigger-points-inequality-and-political-polarization-in-contemporary-society-policy-press-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-political-science-408770/steffen-mau-et-al-the-trigger-points-inequality-and-political-polarization-in-contemporary-society-policy-press-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.