The secret life of voters
A New Study Reveals The Unpopular Opinions Americans Won't Say Out Loud
Trump and Harris voters are lying to their friends about what they really believe.
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The Lede
Withholding one's real views, or what public-opinion researchers call "self-silencing," appears to be widespread in the US. As part of a new study, the think tank Populace and the research firm YouGov conducted a survey in the US in which 58% of respondents said they thought most people don't feel comfortable expressing their honest opinions about sensitive issues. But the more we know about what we actually believe, the likelier we may be to meet in the middle.
Key Details
- The study of more than 19,000 respondents found that a majority of all demographic groups — age, gender, race, income, and political party — had self-silenced in the past year.
- Critics of self-censorship argue that when too many people aren't saying what they think, it inhibits the public debate necessary for a healthy society.
- Democrats and Republicans were more privately aligned on the question of defunding the police. Another thing they might secretly agree on: that they don't trust the government.
