Pew Research Finds 60 Percent of Americans Share Similar Political Values
New data suggests the U.S. electorate is less divided than public perception indicates, with a large group of moderates overlapping across party lines.
By Kwame Silva ·
Pew Research Center data indicates that roughly 60 percent of the American electorate belongs to a political middle ground where values overlap across party lines. This group, which the research firm labels as the messy middle, is larger than the combined populations of the most ideologically strict conservative and liberal segments.
The study breaks the U.S. population into nine distinct groups based on attitudes and values. One such group, the Pragmatic and Polite Right, consists of 56 percent Republicans or Republican-leaning independents and 37 percent Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents. This cohort tends to be older and prioritizes civility in political discourse while holding conservative economic views and moderate stances on race and immigration.
By comparison, the groups furthest to the right, identified as the No Apologies Right and Faith First Conservatives, account for only 21 percent of the population. Jocelyn Kiley, who leads politics research at Pew, noted that looking past party labels reveals substantial variation within parties and significant overlap between them.
Political researchers argue that the perceived gap between the left and right is often larger than the actual gap. Kristin Laurin, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, pointed out that people frequently avoid discussing politics with friends to prevent conflict. This avoidance leads individuals to overestimate how different their peers are.
This dynamic was evident in a January conversation between Shanna Berry, a Christian and Air Force veteran, and Alma Ong, a Buddhist who grew up in London. Both are in their early 50s and friends. When asked about the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Berry said she felt the end of the regime was necessary, though she questioned the legalities and motives regarding oil access. Ong, who typically views the president unfavorably, agreed with Berry’s assessment entirely.
Laurin described the exchange as a common example of misplaced assumptions between political allies. She said politicians and social media platforms amplify rage to drive engagement, causing perceived polarization to far outstrip actual polarization. Stan Fletcher, a Maryland restaurateur who voted for President Trump three times, echoed this view. He stated that 95 percent of America falls under a bell curve of moderates, while the loud voices on the fringes dominate the conversation.
Recent events have also shown this cross-partisan alignment. In April, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for posting a photo of seashells that the Department of Justice characterized as a death threat against the president. The move drew criticism from both Democrats and many conservatives. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University Law School, called the situation absurd. Fletcher noted that while Comey is opinionated, no one should be indicted for holding an opinion.
