Pew Research: 60% of Americans in political middle
New data suggests the electorate is less divided than public perception indicates, with a large majority of voters falling into overlapping moderate categories.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
60 percent of the American electorate falls into a category that Pew Research Center describes as a messy political middle. This figure challenges the common perception that the nation is split into two distinct, warring camps. Instead, the data reveals a large group of voters who share values across traditional partisan lines.
The research identifies nine distinct political groups based on attitudes and values. One of these, the Pragmatic and Polite Right, demonstrates this overlap. Within that specific group, 56 percent identify as Republicans or lean Republican, while 37 percent identify as Democrats or lean Democratic. These voters generally value civility in politics and hold conservative views on economics, but they tend to be more moderate on issues of race and immigration.
Jocelyn Kiley, who leads politics research at Pew, explained that the variation within parties is often larger than the differences between them. She noted that the ideological groups at the far right, including the No Apologies Right and Faith First Conservatives, account for only 21 percent of the population. This suggests that the extreme voices often heard in media and campaigns do not represent the majority of the voting public.
The disconnect between perceived and actual polarization is evident in everyday interactions. Shanna Berry, a retired Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, and Alma Ong, a liberal Buddhist immigrant, initially avoided discussing politics to preserve their friendship. When they finally spoke about the U.S. capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, they discovered their views were nearly identical. Ong expressed astonishment at how much they agreed, a reaction that mirrors findings from political scientists.
Kristin Laurin, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, attributed this perception gap to several factors. She noted that politicians often portray opponents as extreme to energize their base, while social media algorithms amplify rage to drive engagement. This dynamic leads people to overestimate their political differences. Laurin pointed out that the friends in question had made incorrect assumptions about each other's beliefs until they actually spoke.
This pattern of cross-partisan agreement also appeared during the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey in April. Comey was charged by the Department of Justice with posting a photo of seashells that officials interpreted as a death threat. While Democrats were appalled, many conservatives also voiced support for his First Amendment rights. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University, remarked that discussing the shell art of Comey felt like a parallel universe, highlighting the shared surprise among legal experts on both sides.
Stan Fletcher, a restaurateur in Maryland who voted for President Trump in three elections, expressed a similar view. He argued that 95 percent of America falls under a bell curve of moderates, but the public only hears about the outliers. Pew Research offers a quiz to help individuals determine which of the nine groups they belong to, providing a tool for voters to locate themselves within this complex political spectrum.
