Below is a complimentary Demography Unplugged research note written by Hedgeye Demography analyst Neil Howe. Click here to learn more and subscribe.
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Though Trump and Biden voters are deeply divided on the issues, they also support some common policies. According to a new survey, more than half of both groups at least somewhat support policies like universal pre-K and taxing the richest Americans. (UVA Center for Politics) |
NH: America is a polarized country, and it often can feel like there's no common ground between red and blue voters. But according to a new survey by UVA’s Center for Politics, there are policies both sides support.
What did the poll find?
Majorities of both Biden and Trump voters support many projects funded by the infrastructure and reconciliation bills.
Over 80% of voters in both parties at least "somewhat" support improving the electrical grid, water systems, and “hard infrastructure” (roads, bridges, etc.).Smaller majorities also support increased funding for rural internet, funding universal pre-K, and raising the income tax on those making more than $400K.
Most of these policies are in the infrastructure bill. And it’s no wonder it passed the Senate with 19 GOP votes.
A bit more surprising is that both sides support higher taxes on the rich. That reflects the growing populist direction of Republican politics.
But don’t sing Kumbaya just yet. Over 80% of both Biden and Trump voters at least "somewhat" agree that politicians belonging to the opposing party are a danger to democracy. (See "American on the Verge of a Civil War?") That's not all: 56% of Biden supporters at least "somewhat" believe Republicans are fascists; and 76% of Trump supporters at least "somewhat" believe Democrats are socialists.
America may agree on repairing its roads, but trusting the other side? Not a chance.
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ABOUT NEIL HOWE
Neil Howe is a renowned authority on generations and social change in America. An acclaimed bestselling author and speaker, he is the nation's leading thinker on today's generations—who they are, what motivates them, and how they will shape America's future.
A historian, economist, and demographer, Howe is also a recognized authority on global aging, long-term fiscal policy, and migration. He is a senior associate to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., where he helps direct the CSIS Global Aging Initiative.
Howe has written over a dozen books on generations, demographic change, and fiscal policy, many of them with William Strauss. Howe and Strauss' first book, Generations is a history of America told as a sequence of generational biographies. Vice President Al Gore called it "the most stimulating book on American history that I have ever read" and sent a copy to every member of Congress. Newt Gingrich called it "an intellectual tour de force." Of their book, The Fourth Turning, The Boston Globe wrote, "If Howe and Strauss are right, they will take their place among the great American prophets."
Howe and Strauss originally coined the term "Millennial Generation" in 1991, and wrote the pioneering book on this generation, Millennials Rising. His work has been featured frequently in the media, including USA Today, CNN, the New York Times, and CBS' 60 Minutes.
Previously, with Peter G. Peterson, Howe co-authored On Borrowed Time, a pioneering call for budgetary reform and The Graying of the Great Powers with Richard Jackson.
Howe received his B.A. at U.C. Berkeley and later earned graduate degrees in economics and history from Yale University.
