Wilcox was raised in a family with, as he describes, a high level of "political intensity" and discussion. His aunts, uncles, and grandparents were highly polarized politically, either conservative or very liberal. As a child he would listen to debate and discussion about political issues that grew very heated, often to the point of name-calling, and these experiences created an early desire to understand why political ideologies lead to such conflict, and at times grow to greater importance than relationships with friends and family.