Widespread commonality in Americans' goals for themselves while partisan differences emerge in goals for the nation
Washington, DC, October 19, 2020 – Americans broadly agree on what it takes to be a good person and a good community: There is a great deal of commonality in the personal values that Americans say they hold for themselves, on the attributes of a community they would want to live in, and on their goals for themselves and their families. And, despite difficult times, on the whole they express surprisingly high levels of satisfaction with how well they are achieving their goals and on the community they live in now.
Americans also still largely share a common understanding of the nation’s defining values (e.g. free speech, equal justice, shared opportunity). Yet, this consensus breaks down when it comes to assessing the state of the country as it is, let alone its priorities for the future. There is a sharp left/right divide on whether the country is, for example, ensuring equality, protecting freedom and justice, providing opportunity, and delivering services. And this division is reflected in deeply divergent sets of national priorities, ranging from “putting America first” to providing affordable healthcare.
Nonetheless, large majorities extoll the ideals of “working together for the common good” and being more united as a country, suggesting there is some foundation for building unity.
Read the full report from FixUS here.
About the Study
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted September 2-3, 2020, on behalf of FixUS. For this study, a total of 1,005 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The sample includes 402 Republicans, 419 Democrats, and 116 Independents.
The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2018 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the online sample for this poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all online respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,005, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.0 percentage points).
The online poll also has a credibility interval of plus or minus 5.6 percentage points for Republicans, plus or minus 5.5 percentage points for Democrats, and plus or minus 10.4 percentage points for Independents.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Chris Jackson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]
Kate Silverstein
Media Relations Specialist, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected]
About Ipsos
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