Fox News did a very interesting issues-focused national poll in the week leading up to election day which gives interesting insights into what the American population thinks on issues. It surveyed 110,000 people, across all 50 states, on quite a range of issues.
It seemed to have a slight conservative bias as slightly more respondents reported leaning Republican than Democratic and slightly more reported being conservative than liberal.
Nonetheless the results on different issues favored very progressive policy positions. Screenshots from the Fox News segment on The Five on the topic on election night (data behind these graphics is on the Fox News website), as they reported this polling:
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As the above graphics show, pluralities or outright majorities favored government-run healthcare, more gun control, not changing Roe v Wade, a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, requiring people to wear masks in public, and wanted Bigger government rather than Smaller government. They thought racism was a serious problem in society and in policing, and that the Trump administration had made the US less safe and not been tough enough on Russia.
Being familiar with this sort of polling - and having an idea of what percentage of the country is in each category - is helpful to ensure we have an idea of what different people think and to make sure we aren't too stuck in our own bubbles. Even if we've in a majority-position or plurality position ourselves on an issue, it's helpful to understand number of people who hold different views and what their views are.
From looking at that polling I am inclined to agree with a comment I heard several years ago: "The US is full of people who view themselves as 'conservatives' and 'Republicans' but if you actually ask their opinions on specific policies on specific topics, the policy positions they tell you they favour will be very progressive and will be policy positions that the Democrats, not Republicans, are advocating for, and the furtherest left-wing Democrats at that." The 72% who reported favoring or strongly favoring government-run healthcare is an example of this - most of the Democratic party (e.g. Biden) is against bringing in government-run healthcare, to get to that position you've got to go people such as Bernie and AOC on the left-wing end of the Democratic party.
It seemed to have a slight conservative bias as slightly more respondents reported leaning Republican than Democratic and slightly more reported being conservative than liberal.
Nonetheless the results on different issues favored very progressive policy positions. Screenshots from the Fox News segment on The Five on the topic on election night (data behind these graphics is on the Fox News website), as they reported this polling:
FoxPoll1.JPG
FoxPoll2.JPG
FoxPoll3.JPG
As the above graphics show, pluralities or outright majorities favored government-run healthcare, more gun control, not changing Roe v Wade, a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, requiring people to wear masks in public, and wanted Bigger government rather than Smaller government. They thought racism was a serious problem in society and in policing, and that the Trump administration had made the US less safe and not been tough enough on Russia.
Being familiar with this sort of polling - and having an idea of what percentage of the country is in each category - is helpful to ensure we have an idea of what different people think and to make sure we aren't too stuck in our own bubbles. Even if we've in a majority-position or plurality position ourselves on an issue, it's helpful to understand number of people who hold different views and what their views are.
From looking at that polling I am inclined to agree with a comment I heard several years ago: "The US is full of people who view themselves as 'conservatives' and 'Republicans' but if you actually ask their opinions on specific policies on specific topics, the policy positions they tell you they favour will be very progressive and will be policy positions that the Democrats, not Republicans, are advocating for, and the furtherest left-wing Democrats at that." The 72% who reported favoring or strongly favoring government-run healthcare is an example of this - most of the Democratic party (e.g. Biden) is against bringing in government-run healthcare, to get to that position you've got to go people such as Bernie and AOC on the left-wing end of the Democratic party.
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