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In a bitterly divided country, it seems as though there is nothing Democrats and Republicans see eye-to-eye on. But is that really true?
It is not.
In fact, there are many different issues Americans agree on. Some seem to be “red” while others are “blue.”
For example, recent polling from YouGov shows that both Democrats and Republicans think the penalties for drug traffickers and violent criminals should be more severe. However, a majority of the supporters of each party also believe that federal marijuana-related convictions for nonviolent offenders should be expunged.
In light of Donald Trump’s Big Lie, it would also seem as though elections would be one of the main sources of contention, but there is actually agreement on many different aspects of them. Democrats and Republicans alike want voters to show IDs when casting their ballots. They also want to take politics out of redistricting.
And, interestingly, the exact same percentages of Democrats and Republicans think presidential candidates should release their health records and take cognitive exams.
On many issues, they agree in ways that seem to be a bit contradictory.
For example, with regard to the environment, Americans want to increase US energy production while also punishing companies more severely that cause environmental damage.
Speaking of corporations, this is one of the main areas of agreement for Democrats and Republicans… and an opportunity for candidates who want to hold them to account while improving the lives of regular Americans.
Voters from both parties want to ban excessive price increases during emergencies, i.e., price gouging. That is one of the reasons why attacks on Kamala Harris’s plan to do just that seem misplaced.
Large majorities of Republicans and Democrats want to be better protected from spam phone calls, and they want a federal digital privacy bill of rights. Some of these things seem very simple to accomplish (and therefore to campaign on), such as making electronic devices easier to fix and ensure they are all compatible with the same type of charger.
Others are bigger issues.
Americans want to more heavily penalize companies that use monopolistic practices, and take corporate money out of politics.
Overall, YouGov identified more than 100 issues on which a majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans agree.
They want to increase funding for border surveillance while reducing the money spent on foreign aid.
Americans support raising the federal minimum wage and giving workers paid sick leave and family leave.
They want local police departments to get more money. However, they also support a national standard for de-escalation training, requiring officers to intervene if they see colleagues use excessive force, and providing incentives to make cops wear body cameras.
Majorities of Democrats and Republicans alike want to tax the rich more while reducing the tax burden on small businesses.
Generally, Americans want the government to help those less fortunate. For example, they think public schools should provide free meals to low-income students and parents should get vouchers for day care services.
There is even agreement on hot-button issues like abortion and gun control.
Republicans and Democrats think public schools should be required to provide birth control education. In addition, they concur that abortion should be legal in case of rape or incest.
And, with regard to guns, Americans think the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic firearms should be raised to 21, there should be a five-day waiting period prior to finalizing a gun purchase, and that the government should be allowed to seize weapons from people whom judges deem to be dangerous.
Obviously, because the country is so deeply divided, it seems unlikely that any candidate would attract many votes from the opposite party for embracing any one of these policies. However, it also seems as though the list of items on which there is a consensus should guide any smart candidate on the home stretch toward this year’s election.
