It’s an important, thoughtful, and revealing examination of what drives us apart and how we might address that division. On one hand, the study seems to confirm that America has become “tribal.” Various groups of Americans share radically different values, assumptions, and goals—a divisiveness that roils social media and sours family get-togethers. The polarization has real-world effects, dividing families and increasingly turning politics into ineffective, frustrating, grinding trench warfare. As the study notes soberly:
“These tensions are poisoning personal relationships, consuming our politics and putting our democracy in peril. Once a country has become tribalized, debates about contested issues from immigration and trade to economic management, climate change and national security, become shaped by larger tribal identities.”
At the same time, the study website argues that the data collected offers “a very different story than the tale of a deeply polarized America, split into two camps locked in a fight, determined to crush the other.”
Reconciling the Data
There are two main reasons for this. First, there are more than two political camps in America. The tribes aren’t delineated along racial or class lines, as some pundits imply; rather, they are organized around core values. Second, most Americans are tired of polarization and 77 percent believe that, despite our differences, we can work together for the common good.
“It feels as though hard work is no longer rewarded, and the gap between rich and poor widens every year. Many Americans wonder who and what they can still trust. The institutions that once bound us are disappearing, and we no longer seem to have each other’s backs.”
The Seven Tribes
Through their detailed survey, More in Common delineated “seven tribes” created by these wedges: Progressive Activists, 8 percent of the population, tend to be irreligious, cosmopolitan, and focused on issues of equity. Traditional Liberals, at 11 percent, tend to be idealistic, tolerant, and trusting of institutions. Passive Liberals, 15 percent, tend to be insecure about their beliefs, isolated, and fatalistic.Twenty-six percent are Politically Disengaged. In addition to being disconnected from politics, this group tends to be suspicious, conspiratorially minded, and pessimistic about progress.
Moderates, 15 percent), tend to avoid strong positions on either side, find value in their faith, and are civically-minded. Traditional Conservatives, 19 percent, tend to be religious, moralistic, and patriotic. Devoted Conservatives, 6 percent, tend to be highly engaged with politics and hold uncompromising views, considering themselves the last bastion of defense against threatened traditional values.
One surprising finding that immediately leaps from the page is what a small percentage of the overall population falls into the extreme political camps. The far wings of Progressive Activists and Devoted Conservatives, combined, account for only 14 percent of the population. Yet the media seems to be saturated with arguments between mainly these two groups, giving the impression that the entire population is locked in this head-to-head battle. Because they’re the loudest, they take up a disproportionate wedge of the national conversation.
According to More in Common:
“When people today speak about how Americans seem to hate each other, they’re usually talking about the opinions and behaviors of the Wings. ... All this can make entertaining television and viral social media content. But it is distorting how we see each other, fracturing our society, and adding to distortions in our political system that give undue weight to the most extreme views.”
The Moral Underpinnings
The study also sought to identify the pillars on which the tribes’ political edifices rest. These are the core beliefs that shape and determine “downstream” political issues. The Hidden Tribes study assessed members of the various tribes for their thoughts on five moral pillars: Fairness/Cheating, Care/Harm, Authority/Subversion, Purity/Disgust, Loyalty/Betrayal.The study revealed that Progressive Activists, Traditional and Passive Liberals all cared more about the Harm/Fairness moral pillar than the other four, whereas Traditional and Devoted Conservatives were concerned with all five pillars.
Other core beliefs, apart from moral pillars, also strongly influence Americans’ views on political issues, including their perceptions of threat, their parenting style, authoritarian tendencies, moral values, and beliefs about personal responsibility.
Perhaps the most hopeful findings of the study related to the regions of common ground it identified, which included questions related to race, immigration, and perhaps most significantly, political correctness. Approximately 80 percent of Americans believe “political correctness has gone too far in America” and that people are too quick to take offense or criticize or control the way other people speak.
The study also concludes with some strategies for working to minimize polarization. Politicians and activists should speak to underlying values that unify the nation, instead of just aiming to mobilize only their base. Artists and media members should focus on the positive, gap-bridging activities of Americans in local communities. Technology companies can prioritize using their resources to bring people together instead of turning up the volume on anger and conflict.
Ultimately, unifying the country is about returning to common values. As the work of More in Common demonstrates, the most significant influence on people’s political attitudes is their underlying, core beliefs. That’s where the real battle lies—and it’s a more complex battlefield than the simplistic Republican/Democrat binary would suggest.
