Surprise Twist: American Voters Find Common Ground on Key Issues

As the presidential election campaign intensifies, media coverage portrays Americans as deeply divided, facing a challenging fall, and a potentially tense January.

However, reporting and poll results from the American Communities Project (ACP) based at Michigan State University tell a different story. By analyzing the country through 15 distinct community types, the ACP reveals substantial agreement on key policy issues.

In the ACP’s 2023 survey, there was notable consensus on government-related matters like taxes, immigration, the economy, and abortion within these diverse communities.

Nevertheless, “culture war” topics such as religion, gender identity, guns, and family values highlighted stark differences.

This division between “policy” discussions and cultural debates is causing significant rifts in the nation. For more productive governance, Americans need to move past cultural identity issues.

The ACP’s survey showed the depth of policy versus culture differences.

The 15 community types vary demographically, geographically, and politically. “Aging Farmlands,” predominantly rural and white, heavily supported Donald Trump in 2020, while “Big Cities,” densely populated with diverse demographics, favored Joe Biden.

Yet, there was wide agreement on critical policy questions.

For example, over 60% in every community type believed, “the American economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful.” On cutting social programs to lower taxes, no more than 38% agreed in any community.

Abortion also saw consensus, with over 50% in every community agreeing it should be a decision made by a woman and her doctor, without government interference. This widespread agreement was surprising.

Not all agreements favored Democratic positions. Less than 30% supported increasing immigration in any community, and no more than 45% endorsed a greater government role in policing the private sector.

Despite feeling hopelessly divided, Americans showed significant agreement on these government-related issues.

When cultural issues became the focus, divisions resurfaced.

The greatest divide was on the right to own firearms, deemed central to American identity by 49% of Americans overall. In “Evangelical Hubs,” 71% agreed, while in “Aging Farmlands,” it was 73%. This number dropped to 30% and 34% in “Big Cities” and “Urban Suburbs,” respectively.

Similar divides were evident in gender identity acceptance. Majorities in diverse communities supported free gender expression, while rural and blue-collar communities were less accepting.

Faith and religion showed national importance, with 58% agreeing they are vital to American life.

“Aging Farmlands” and “Native American Lands” showed high importance at 77% and 73%, while “Big Cities” and “Urban Suburbs” were lower, at 47%.

Traditional family structures saw varied support, highest in “Native American Lands” at 59% and lower in “Big Cities” at 33%.

Guns, gender, faith, and family values matter deeply to Americans, but their role in politics is debatable.

Personal beliefs on these issues persist regardless of leadership. The government can’t police personal ideals. Cultural debates have hijacked political discourse, overshadowing broader agreement on government roles.

Agreeing on issue importance differs from agreeing on solutions.

Discussions about resolving issues like a “rigged” system or taxation involve give-and-take, unlike divisive cultural fights.

In a nation of 330 million, easy answers to “who are we?” don’t exist and weren’t designed to.

Politics must focus on “What should we do?” to reduce deadlock and tensions in the 2024 election.