"Some days, it can seem as if half the country has come down with rabies.
...Part of it probably comes from the fact that Americans increasingly sort themselves into like-minded communities.
That means they're less apt to get to know people who think differently, and therefore less likely to understand where they're coming from.
...And part of it also probably has to do with the fact that both parties have grown more extreme in recent years.
...Many media outlets only make matters worse. Take a look at The Daily Caller or The Huffington Post—watch a late-night comic or tune into cable "news"—and you will be presented with an endless litany of outrages committed by Those Awful People.
This is, unfortunately, a successful business model.
It works because it ratifies the viewers' existing prejudices and makes them feel superior.
Nothing like a little dopamine squirt to brighten your day.
But this exaggerated emphasis on differences obscures the degree to which Americans still agree.
And on some topics, the public is of one mind, or as close to that as you can get.
A few examples:
- Universal background checks. Nine out of 10 Americans think a background check should be required for every firearm purchase. That includes three-fourths of all NRA members.
- Dreamers. These are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as young children, grew up here, and have little or no connection to their countries of origin. Eighty-five percent of Americans agree that they should not be deported.
- Civil asset forfeiture. This practice allows the police to confiscate property—cash, cars, homes—from people they suspect might be involved in criminal activity, even if the individual is never even charged with a crime, let alone convicted. Across the ideological spectrum, 84 percent of Americans disapprove of the practice.
- Medical marijuana. Eighty-three percent of Americans agree that doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis for their patients.
- Extremist bigotry. Eighty-three percent of Americans think it's unacceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white-supremacist views. Nine percent think it's OK, and 8 percent aren't sure (!).
- Sanctuary cities. In contrast to attitudes on Dreamers, 80 percent of American voters disapprove of sanctuary cities and agree that local authorities should report illegal immigrants to federal authorities...
- (many more. Read on!)
Still, for people tired of constant snark and contrived controversy, it might be comforting to know that in many ways America is not nearly so divided as it's sometimes made out to be.
...And maybe, despite his annoying bumper-sticker, the two of you actually agree on quite a bit."
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