---
title: "Want Bipartisan Cooperation"
description: "Most Americans (55%) -- but not most Republicans -- say that Republican leaders in Congress should work with President Obama."
date: "2010-12-03"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2010/12/03/want-bipartisan-cooperation/"
---

# Want Bipartisan Cooperation

Most Americans (55%) say that Republican leaders in Congress should work with President Barack Obama, even if that disappoints some of their supporters. Even more (62%) want Obama to cooperate with GOP leaders, even if that disappoints some Democrats. Independents want the two sides to work together — 57% say GOP leaders should cooperate with Obama while about as many (59%) say that the president should work with GOP leaders. But as many Democrats say Obama should stand up to Republican leaders (43%) as say he should work with them (46%). Republicans are even less interested in seeing their party’s congressional leaders work with Obama — and far fewer GOP voters want their party’s leaders to work with Obama than did so after the 2008 presidential election. Currently, 66% of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters want GOP leaders to stand up to Obama, up from 47% shortly after the presidential election two years ago. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1798/poll-less-enthusiasm-gop-2010-victory-policy-more-negative-campaign-no-compromise)