---
title: "Key Shareable Findings"
description: "Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent history. And these trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and everyday life. Growing Ideological Consistency As ideological consistency has become more common it is also increasingly aligned […]"
date: "2014-06-12"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/06/12/key-shareable-findings/"
datasets:
  - name: "2014 Political Polarization Survey"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/2014-political-polarization-survey/"
---

# Key Shareable Findings

*Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent history. And these trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and everyday life.*

**Growing Ideological Consistency**

*As ideological consistency has become more common it is also increasingly aligned with partisanship. *

- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/TKA0Kg" alt="The share of Americans who are uniformly liberal or conservative has doubled to 21% over the past 20 years. "]The share of Americans who are uniformly liberal or conservative has doubled to 21% over the past 20 years.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/TKA0Kg" alt="The typical Republican is now more conservative than 94% of Democrats. "]The typical Republican is now more conservative than 94% of Democrats.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/TKA0Kg" alt="The typical Democrat is now more liberal than 92% of Republicans. "]The typical Democrat is now more liberal than 92% of Republicans.[/tweetable]

**Growing Partisan Antipathy**

*The level of antipathy that Republicans and Democrats feel toward the opposing party has surged over the past two decades. *

- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1hJieBG" alt="36% of Republicans say Democratic policies threaten the nation; 27% of Democrats say the same about GOP policies"]36% of Republicans say Democratic policies threaten the nation; 27% of Democrats say the same about GOP policies.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1hJieBG" alt="38% of Democrats and 43% of Republicans now view the opposite party in strongly negative terms."]38% of Democrats and 43% of Republicans now view the opposite party in strongly negative terms.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1hJieBG" alt="Republicans and Democrats with very unfavorable views of the opposing party are more likely to be politically engaged"]Republicans and Democrats with very unfavorable views of the opposing party are more likely to be politically engaged.[/tweetable]

**Political Polarization and Personal Life**

*Those on the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum disagree about everything from the type of community in which they prefer to live to the type of people they would welcome into their families.*

- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="Liberals would rather live in cities, while conservatives prefer rural areas and small towns."]Liberals would rather live in cities, while conservatives prefer rural areas and small towns.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="Liberals are more likely than conservatives to say racial and ethnic diversity is important in a community."]Liberals are more likely than conservatives to say racial and ethnic diversity is important in a community.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="Conservatives are more likely than liberals to want to live in a place where many people share their religious faith."]Conservatives are more likely than liberals to want to live in a place where many people share their religious faith.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="15% of Democrats and 17% of Republicans would be unhappy welcoming someone from the other party into their family."]15% of Democrats and 17% of Republicans would be unhappy welcoming someone from the other party into their family.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="49% of Americans would be unhappy if a family member were to marry someone who doesn’t believe in God."]49% of Americans would be unhappy if a family member were to marry someone who doesn’t believe in God.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/UtV9Jn" alt="Just 35% of Americans say most of their close friends share their views on government and politics."]Just 35% of Americans say most of their close friends share their views on government and politics.[/tweetable]

**Political Compromise and Divisive Policy Debates**

*The nation’s increasing ideological polarization makes political compromise more difficult, in part because those at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum see less benefit in meeting the other side halfway.*

- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/TKAcZQ" alt="Those on the left and right say the optimal political outcome is one in which their side gets more of what it wants."]Those on the left and right say the optimal political outcome is one in which their side gets more of what it wants.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/TKAcZQ" alt="Those on the left prefer leaders who compromise, while those on the right prefer leaders who stick to their positions"]Those on the left prefer leaders who compromise, while those on the right prefer leaders who stick to their positions.[/tweetable]

**Political Engagement and Activism**

*Those who hold consistently liberal or conservative views, and who hold strongly negative views of the other political party, are far more likely to participate in the political process than the rest of the nation.*

- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1oeajzo" alt="Just 39% of those who hold a mix of liberal and conservative values vote regularly."]Just 39% of those who hold a mix of liberal and conservative values vote regularly.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1oeajzo" alt="Across-the-board liberals and conservatives are 3x as likely to make political donations as those with mixed views."]Across-the-board liberals and conservatives are three times as likely to make political donations as those with mixed views.[/tweetable]
- [tweetable url="http://pewrsr.ch/1oeajzo" alt="Republicans and Democrats with very unfavorable views of the opposing party more likely to participate in politics."]Republicans and Democrats with very unfavorable views of the opposing party are more likely to participate in politics.[/tweetable]