August 21, 2023
Republicans are almost three times more likely to prefer a presidential candidate who emphasizes conservative policies on the economy, immigration and crime over one who focuses on combating ‘woke’ left ideologies.
August 21, 2023 – A newly released nationwide survey of registered Republican voters, conducted by the nonpartisan research organization More in Common, finds most Republicans want to see their presidential candidates lower the temperature on culture war issues and focus more on economic and security policies. “Attitudes and Experiences of Republicans in America – Part 1: Identity, Belonging, and Priorities,” shows that 67% of Republicans prefer a presidential candidate who emphasizes conservative policies on the economy, immigration, and crime, over one focused on combating ‘woke’ left ideology. Similarly, 61% of Republicans prefer a presidential candidate who will “work to heal” the conflicts in our culture whereas only 32% prefer one who will try to win these conflicts.
Highlighting the multifaceted nature of Republican beliefs, the survey uncovered that although about three in four Republicans self-identify as conservative, their political identity is not as important to them as other elements of their life. Only a quarter (25%) considered party affiliation a key aspect of their identity whereas 59% felt this way about being American and 55% about their family role. Further, when asked about communities where they feel a strong sense of belonging, only 7% of Republicans chose a political community; they were much more likely to say a faith community (40%), their local neighborhood (31%), or their workplace (25%).
Dan Vallone, Executive Director of More in Common US, commented, “Our data reveals a much more complex landscape of attitudes and values among Republicans than is commonly presented in the national coverage of politics. We find that most Republicans want to heal the conflicts in our culture, and they want candidates to put less emphasis on divisive issues and more focus on economic and security policies.”
Underscoring their desire for less contentious politics, 76% of Republicans agreed with the sentiment that “we have more in common than what divides us.”
Other Findings Include:
“As we have previously found in our research on ‘perception gaps,’ it is easy for Americans to hold inaccurate impressions of what their political opposites actually believe,” Vallone continued. “This trend could get worse as we enter a new phase of the 2024 election starting with Wednesday’s debate. Our goal with this report is to show the complexity of attitudes, nuanced views, and diversity of stories that animate Republicans, with the hope that this helps Americans—across the left, right, and center—better understand each other and see the common ground that exists across our differences.”
The survey also found that former president Donald Trump is the preferred candidate for president by a significant margin, though most Republicans candidates are largely unknown to voters at this point. 53% of Republicans said they would vote for Trump if the Republican primary were held today; 16% selected Governor Ron DeSantis and the next highest was entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 6%. Trump, DeSantis, and former vice-president Mike Pence are the only candidates where majorities (88%, 60%, and 56% respectively) of Republicans said they felt they knew them “moderately well” or “very well.”
This report is the first in a new initiative from More in Common focused on surfacing the complexity of views among Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. To view the survey or learn more click here.
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About More in Common US
More in Common US is a non-partisan research and civic nonprofit that works to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and bring people together to address our shared challenges.