Political Polarization

[Belsnickel]

This is a recent Pew study and it is pretty interesting reading. I wanted to post the link for now, but when I have more time I want to dig into some interesting details.

http://www.people-press.org/2017/10/05/the-partisan-divide-on-political-values-grows-even-wider/

[Belsnickel]

While I haven't had a chance to dig into the report, I was killing time on Twitter while a query ran and I saw this.

Here's where some of the divisions are WITHIN the Republican and Democratic coalitions https://t.co/4Ij9l1LS04 pic.twitter.com/5v8nxjdY3v

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) October 25, 2017

[*michaelsean*]

I always wonder what the questions are, and how some things are defined. Hard work is a guarantee of success? How do you define success?

[GMDino]

(10-25-2017, 10:19 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I always wonder what the questions are, and how some things are defined.  Hard work is a guarantee of success?  How do you define success?

How do you define hard work for that matter?

[*michaelsean*]

(10-25-2017, 10:24 AM)GMDino Wrote: How do you define hard work for that matter?

True.  

[Belsnickel]

(10-25-2017, 10:19 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I always wonder what the questions are, and how some things are defined.  Hard work is a guarantee of success?  How do you define success?

If you wonder what the questions are, then look no further than the topline. The topline provides you with the more raw data, which includes the questions that were asked. Of course, some of these questions were from previous toplines, or will be in future toplines, and so it can get complicated trying to find the specific one you are looking for. Oftentimes the wording of the question has remained the same for decades. 

For the ones I think you are referring to, they would be asked if they agree or disagree with the statements "most people can make it if they're willing to work hard" and "hard work is no guarantee of success for most people". They word it both ways to help with the statistics of it all because whether to wording is positive as in the first version, or negative as in the second, that can create different results. The full report has the information on the website in a 107 page pdf. Page 56 (labeled as page 52, because why should things be consistent?) goes into this question.

[Yojimbo]

Good evidence as to why a two party dominant system no longer works. Another recent study believes there’s as many as 8 different political factions now.

[JustWinBaby]

Only 1/3 of Americans have a mix of liberal and conservative views?

That generally aligns with the idea that 2/3 of Americans are stupid.