New Report from More in Common Reveals Key Role Misperceptions Played in 2024 Election

New York, NY – More in Common, a nonpartisan research nonprofit dedicated to understanding social divisions and fostering unity, has just released The Priority Gap: Insights on the 2024 Election. 

The report sheds light on the misperceptions that shaped the political landscape during the 2024 presidential election and shows that Americans misunderstood the most common priorities of both parties — but particularly those of Democrats. 

The findings, illuminated in a piece published in The Atlantic, suggest that Americans overwhelmingly—and mistakenly—believe that Democrats care more about advancing progressive social issues over broadly shared economic ones.   
  

Key Findings:  

Inflation is the top concern for all Americans – yet they believe Republicans share it much more than Democrats.    

• Every major demographic group holds inflation as a top concern: men and women, Americans of all racial backgrounds, generations, geographic regions, and political parties. On average, the economy ranks second and immigration third.
• When asked about Republicans’ priorities, Americans perceive inflation and the economy as among their top three priorities.
• However, when asked about Democrats’ top priorities, inflation is only among top six most selected issues, and the economy comes ninth.  

Perceptions of parties’ priorities appear to be influenced by the parties’ ideological wings.   

• In 2018, More in Common conducted a study called Hidden Tribes that identified seven distinct clusters of like-minded Americans, each with its own worldview and way of engaging with politics. It showed that much of the national political conversation is driven by small, highly vocal camps on each side of the political divide: on the left, a group called “Progressive Activists”; on the right, a group called “Devoted Conservatives.”
• Most groups, including Republicans themselves, overestimate how much Republicans are focused on immigration. It is, however, the most common priority for the right wing, Devoted Conservatives, 65% of whom selected it.
• Americans also appear to conflate Democrats’ priorities with those of Progressive Activists, the left wing. While inflation is the most common priority for Democrats overall, among Progressive Activists the most common priorities are abortion (39%), climate change (39%), healthcare (32%), inflation (26%), and LGBT/ transgender policies (21%). These priorities more closely correspond to what Americans think Democrats are focused on.   

Across demographic groups, Americans misperceive transgender policy as a leading priority for Democrats.   

• On average, Americans perceive LGBT/ transgender policies as Democrats’ second-highest priority (after abortion); in reality, LGBT/transgender policies are Democrats’ 14th highest priority.
• This misperception is held widely, including by key demographic groups such as Gen Z, Hispanics, and women.   
• Progressive Activists rank LGBT/transgender policies as their sixth highest priority, suggesting that other causes explain its inflated prioritization, such as the Trump campaign attack ads on the subject. 

Implications for Democrats:  

These findings, based on online survey interviews with a representative sample of 5,005 adults conducted November 7-13, 2024, underscore a critical challenge for Democrats: their political priorities appear to have been defined by the loudest voices on the far left – and by their political opposition. Republicans saw an opportunity to associate Democrats with unpopular policy positions by running ads that inaccurately portrayed transgender issues as a central tenet of the Democratic platform. If the party wants to gain ground in future elections, it will need to solve this perception problem. 

“This report does not suggest that Democrats need to abandon their commitments to marginalized groups,” said Stephen Hawkins, Global Director of Research at More in Common. “However, they need to take proactive steps to address a dynamic that leaves their agenda vulnerable to mischaracterization. Most important is to develop the ability to defend against being defined by a small, vocal minority or by attacks from their opponents.”   

Hawkins expands upon this argument in an op-ed published in The Atlantic, co-authored with Daniel Yudkin, Director of the Beacon Project at More in Common, titled: The Perception Gap That Explains American Politics.  

For more information and to access the full report, visit https://moreincommonus.com/publication/the-priorities-gap/  

For press inquiries, interview requests, or additional information, please contact: usmedia@moreincommon.com

About More in Common:  Founded in 2017, More in Common seeks to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and help bring Americans together to tackle our shared challenges. Through partnerships with over 150 groups across civil society, business, education, and philanthropy, More in Common conducts actionable research that informs policymakers, community leaders, and the public.