Conservatives and liberals have always been known to have opposing political views. However, a recent Pew Research Center Study revealed that more Americans than ever before are identifying with one of the two sides, and that their split views go beyond politics.
According to Reuters, Researchers took the opinions of around 10,000 adults via phone interviews from January to March 2014 and compared the results. The poll results on American political behavior demonstrated that the number of Americans who vote consistently Republican or Democrat has risen to 21 percent, which is over double what it was in 1994, at 10 percent.
The results also showed that those who consistently vote for the same political party tend to see the other side as a threat to their well-being. They also are the ones who always vote and speak out. While 49 percent of Americans don’t consistently stick to one party and prefer that both sides meet in the middle when it comes to issues, the one in five that do stick to one side don’t want to meet in the middle. Democrats who were interviewed stated that President Barrack Obama should get 2/3 of his decisions approved, while republicans remarked that the congress should get 2/3 of their decisions approved.
Along with political opposition comes opposition in other areas in life, the results also revealed. Most conservatives interviewed stated that they preferred living in areas with people who were of the same religion, whereas the majority of liberals cared more about living in diverse areas. Also the more conservative a person is, the more likely they are to prefer living in a big house that is a good distance away from businesses and schools. On the contrary, the more liberal person is, the more likely they are to desire living in a small house that is very close to nearby businesses and schools, according to The Washington Post .
These differences make it hard to make a decision that satisfies both sides. Luckily, there are a few areas that both parties agree on unanimously according to the poll, such as the desire to live near family, good schools, and have access to a wide variety of outdoor activities