'Educated' Democrats Most Likely To Vilify, Attack Political Opponents: Study
New research commissioned by More in Common, an initiative set up to “build communities and societies that are stronger,” has shown staunch Republicans and Democrats do not understand each other, The Atlantic reported.
The study, called “The Perception Gap,” suggests that Americans have a “deeply distorted understanding of each other,” and that educated Democrats are among the worst culprits.
It describes a “perception gap,” in which Republicans and Democrats believe a majority of their political opponents hold “extreme” political views.
Is it the third investigation in More in Common’s wider endeavor, the “Hidden Tribes of America Project.” The newest study was launched in 2018 in an attempt to understand the polarization in American politics and society, and to see how the problem could be addressed.
As part of the study, Republicans and Democrats were asked how they believed the other would answer a series of questions. A sample of 2,100 American adults, taken in the week after the 2018 midterms, found that political activists simply didn’t know what the other side believes.
Most Democrats, it found, believed Republicans held bigoted and discriminatory views toward minorities in America. Democrats also believed most Republicans opposed immigration and didn’t care about discrimination based on sex or race.
Almost nine in 10 Republicans agreed that “properly controlled” immigration can be positive to America. Democrats predicted only half would hold that view.
Republicans were also found to have exaggerated views of most Democrats, according to the report.
The study found that Republicans believe approximately half of Democrats take pride in being Americans. However, more than four in five Democrats who responded to the study asserted their American pride.
Take Republicans:
* Republicans believe that only half of Democrats are “proud to be American.” Actually, 8 out of 10 are.
* Republicans also believe that only 3 in 10 Democrats oppose open borders. Actually, 7 in 10 do. pic.twitter.com/j1zdT0Ovxg
— Yascha Mounk (@Yascha_Mounk) June 23, 2019
Republicans also incorrectly predicted that more than six in 10 Democrats support open borders. In reality, just three in 10 respondents advocated that position. Curiously, the study also found that those who refrain from watching the news can more accurately predict the views of those with whom they disagree.
Those who don’t follow the news misjudged the political opinions of others by less than 10% — whereas those who follow the news ascribed extreme political views to their adversaries at a rate of 30% higher than it really is.
The study also found that education can have as damaging an effect as the establishment news media. With every additional degree a Democrat earns, his or her view of average Republicans becomes increasingly distorted.
“This effect is so strong that Democrats without a high school diploma are three times more accurate than those with a postgraduate degree,” according to the study.
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