There have been advances in several fields which have relevance to political communication. New information in the areas of psychology and neuroscience suggest possible explanations for divergent political views. In addition, social media and the internet in general have provided new means of communicating political messages, as well as a wealth of information about political beliefs down to the individual level. The fusion of this new information poses opportunities as well as risks. These are explored through a discussion of the gun control debate and how that debate illuminates our understanding of conservative versus liberal politics and political messaging. The implications relevant to recent political and technical developments, and the real and potential roles of artificial intelligence as both a threat and a possible solution, are presented.
