Samantha joined More in Common having recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stanford University. She is a mixed methods researcher with experience with data science methods. She specializes in political ideology formation and mass mobilization studies, with her research focusing on sentiment analysis techniques as a window into political agent decision-making.
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Favorite MiC Finding:
Americans of both parties overlook commonality in attitudes towards the country. Democrats estimate that just half (51%) of Republicans agree with the statement that “I’m proud to be American, though I acknowledge my country’s flaws.” In reality, Republicans overwhelmingly agree (94%). Similarly, Republicans estimate that half of Democrats agree with this statement, yet most Democrats agree (81%).
Source: The Priority Gap
Why: I think this finding gets at the underlying misperception both sides have of each other as being unpatriotic in some way. When I share this insight with family members across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike are not only surprised but even seem almost happy to hear this. Aided by this particular finding, I feel like I have watched the aggression that undergirds polarization diffuse on someone’s face in real time.