We’re Not as Divided as it May Seem

And we agree that our democracy is in peril

If you are the typical American, at least as demographers see it,  you live in a small city surrounded by a ring of little suburbs and then vast stretches of farmland dotted with little towns. Let’s call it Heartland, USA.  In the big town, you’re seeing a bunch of Harris/Walz yard signs. In the ‘burbs the Trump/Vance signs start to appear. But by the time you get to the countryside, it’s nothing but Trump. You’ll see yard signs, bumper stickers, and pick-up trucks flying “Trump2024  – Take Back America” flags speeding like battlewagons down two-lane roads.

Although it might not take you more than twenty minutes to drive across the Heartland area, you could feel like you’ve crossed from one reality to another. This would align with what the press has to say about our politically divided country. We’re at each other’s throats, say the pundits. However, the fact is that we also agree on a whole lot of issues.

Don’t get me wrong. Donald Trump has ushered in a kind of political incivility not seen in this century. The former president’s sheer meanness and the sky-is-falling pseudo-news reports on Fox and even more extreme outlets, have combined to make people mistrust  each other. But when pollsters, legit journalists, and political scientists set aside partisan labels they find remarkable levels of policy consensus.

When the Associated Press and the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC) recently questioned people from left, right, and center about basic political values they generally agreed.  Ninety-one percent supported the right to vote. The same number supported freedom of speech. Other areas of profound agreement? Freedom of religion – 84 percent. Freedom of the press – 77 percent. The right to keep and bear arms – 54 percent.

When AP announced the news, its reporters sought some clarification from University of Chicago political scientist Michael Albertus. He said it as well as it can be said --   “If you get a bunch of normal people at random and put them in a room together and chat about issues, there’s a lot more convergence than you might imagine.”

Why don’t we know about these shared values? I would say it’s because our political leaders, who grab most of the attention, are more polarized than the voters who elect them to office.  These politicians find that refusing to compromise on their positions and screaming about the other side makes it easier for them to win primary contests and to raise money for general election campaigns. (Leaders of so-called think tanks and advocacy groups also cash in on extremism.)   But this dynamic denies us the government we deserve.

The AP/NORC report is just one of several recent studies that have produced similar results. In 2023, a Michigan State University group found that across the country, 58 percent believe faith and religion are important parts of American life. Sixty-two percent opposed cutting Social Security in order to roll back taxes. And more than 60% said “the American economy is rigged to advantage the rich and the powerful.”

Want some more numbers? Well, in another recent survey YouGov found that when they asked people which issues matter most, people across the political spectrum named many of the same things.  Here they are

Health care – 67 percent

Social Security – 66%

Inflation -- 65%

Crime -- 59%

Immigration -- 57%

 Health care - 67% said this issue is very important.

Social Security -- 66%

inflation -- 65%

Education – 56%

Government spending -- 56%

It’s possible to look at the numbers, which they all understand, and see how a candidate might seize on certain policies and values to build a base of support. They could then campaign with a positive message. I’m not saying they shouldn’t criticize their opponent. What I am saying is that voters know what they want and have a right to be frustrated by politicians who prefer mud-slinging.

The frustration of the American voter explains one last number, which should alarm us all. When AP/NORC asked people if our democracy is working well, only 30 percent said it is. This last number is the most important of all and I think it shows the effect of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. On that terrible day, a mob sent by Donald Trump attempted to prevent the certification of their man’s loss in the 2020 presidential campaign. The attack was an assault on democracy itself, and everyone knows it.

In the current presidential campaign, only Kamala Harris is making democracy a key concern. As a dedicated pro-Harris Republican, I believe she hasn’t been as outspoken as she should be. The numbers don’t lie. The foundation of our country is in peril.  We need to hear more about how she’s going to protect it.