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Polarization has dramatically reshaped the political landscape: Americans disagree on a wider range of issues, dislike each other more, and believe they have less in common with those who do not share their political beliefs. But do Americans have an accurate picture of partisans across the aisle? In his inaugural American Perspectives Survey, AEI polling expert Dan Cox analyzes how Americans view political compromise, disagreement, and how they perceive the other party. Cox demonstrates, through the new data, that partisans on both sides tend to misunderstand the demographic makeup of their political opponents.
Among his key findings: • Only half the public agrees that both Democrats and Republicans want what is best for the country even if they disagree on policy specifics. Nearly as many (49 percent) do not believe that to be the case. But Democrats are more likely to agree with this statement than Republicans (55 percent vs. 42 percent). • Close to half of Americans say that politics is ultimately a struggle between good and evil. Forty-five percent of Americans see politics as a conflict between good and evil while 53 percent disagree. • Both Democrats and Republicans considerably overestimate the share of Democrats who identify as atheist or agnostic. On average, Democrats report that roughly one-third of the Democratic Party identifies as atheist or agnostic, while Republicans estimate that 42 percent do. But according to a recent survey, only 12 percent of Democrats are atheist or agnostic. • Republicans generally believe the Democratic Party is more liberal than it is, while partisans on both sides believe the GOP is less conservative than surveys suggest.
The American Perspectives Survey is available here.
SCHOLAR:
Research Areas: Public opinion and political behavior, American politics, Religious and demographic change, Youth culture and politics
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