The social contract fundamentally relies on the acceptance that the system is fair. This allows differences to be resolved through voting and dialog.

Once a sufficient portion of the population stops believing that the system is fair then violence becomes the next logical step.

Both democrats and republicans now view the other side as a threat to their way of life. Meanwhile, rapidly deteriorating material conditions are driving people towards extremism.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/06/how-close-is-the-us-to-civil-war-barbara-f-walter-stephen-march-christopher-parker