Researchers say Americans agree more on politics than polls suggest

Researchers indicate that political disagreement in the United States is real but less extreme than public perception suggests. New data from the non-partisan Pew Research Center shows that a large portion of voters hold views that cross traditional party lines. This finding challenges the common narrative of a nation divided into two distinct camps.

In January, Shanna Berry and Alma Ong discussed the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The two women, both in their early 50s, are friends who usually avoid political conversation to preserve their bond. Berry, a Christian and retired hairdresser, supported the action. She stated that the end of the regime was necessary, though she remained skeptical about the legal process and the role of oil access. Ong, a Buddhist who grew up in London, initially expected to disagree with her friend.

Ong was surprised by Berry’s specific points. She agreed with everything Berry said regarding the Venezuela situation. This exchange illustrates a key finding in political psychology. Kristin Laurin, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, noted that people often overestimate their political differences because they avoid discussing politics to prevent conflict. Laurin said the two friends were making wrong assumptions about each other’s beliefs.

Political elites and social media contribute to this perception gap. Laurin explained that politicians often portray opponents as extreme to energize their base. Social media platforms amplify emotional content to drive engagement, further widening the perceived divide between the left and right. The result is that perceived polarization far exceeds actual polarization in daily life.

The James Comey indictment in April provided a recent example of this overlap. Former FBI Director Comey was charged for posting a photo of seashells that the Department of Justice labeled a death threat against the president. While Democrats were appalled, many conservatives also criticized the move. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University Law School, expressed disbelief at the focus on the shell art. Stan Fletcher, a restaurateur in Maryland who voted for President Trump three times, said no one should be indicted for their opinion.

Fletcher believes 95% of America falls under a bell curve of moderates. He argues that public discourse is dominated by the most vocal members of each side. Pew Research Center data supports this view. The organization classifies Americans into nine groups based on values and attitudes. One such group, the Pragmatic and Polite Right, includes 56% Republicans or Republican-leaning voters and 37% Democrats or Democratic-leaning voters.

This group places a high value on civility and holds conservative economic views while remaining more moderate on race and immigration. Jocelyn Kiley, who leads politics research at Pew, noted that looking beneath party labels reveals significant variation and overlap. She stated that the messy political middle is larger than the groups on the ideological extremes. Pew estimates this middle makes up about 60% of the electorate.

The groups farthest to the right, labeled the No Apologies Right and the Faith First Conservatives, account for just 21% of the population. Kiley acknowledged that the country is highly polarized but emphasized the nuance beneath that division. She said people agree on more than they may think. Pew offers an online quiz for individuals to identify which of these nine groups they belong to. The research suggests that while political division exists, the majority of voters share values that transcend partisan labels.