CV NEWS FEED // A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that supporters of Donald Trump or Joe Biden have increasingly polarized views on cultural and political issues.
“On most – but not all – of these topics, voters who support President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have starkly different opinions,” Pew reported. “Yet in many cases, Biden and Trump supporters are themselves sharply divided.”
Pew asked 8,709 adults—7,166 of whom were registered voters—in April about their cultural and political views. Questions related to racism, gender identity and same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion, families, and more.
According to a summary of the study, supporters of Biden were significantly more likely (79%) to say that the history of slavery affects Black Americans, while only 27% of Trump supporters agreed.
Regarding gender identity, 90% of Trump supporters said that gender is determined at birth, but Biden supporters were more split in their answers. Thirty-nine percent said that gender is determined at birth, and 59% said that gender can change.
Out of all the respondents, 65% said that gender is determined at birth, while 34% supported gender transitions. Only 20% of Trump supporters approved of using “they/them” pronouns, while 66% of Biden’s were comfortable with using them.
Pew also found that Biden supporters are much more likely (57%) to say that legalizing same-sex marriage was good for society, as compared to just 11% of Trump supporters.
Supporters of Trump additionally supported prioritizing marriage and families in society (59%), significantly more than the 19% of Biden’s supporters. Trump supporters also were more concerned about falling birth rates, as 47% had a negative view of having fewer children, compared to just 23% of Biden supporters who agreed.
“The nation’s fertility rate, which has been declining for years, is now at its lowest point in more than a century, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control,” Pew reported. “About four-in-ten voters (43%) [the total number of participants] say it is neither good nor bad for society that people are having fewer children; 35% view this trend negatively, while 22% say it is good for society.”
Biden supporters were unsurprisingly more likely to support abortions in all or most cases (88%), compared to 38% of Trump supporters. However, both sides (93% of Biden supporters, 66% of Trump’s) largely agreed that access to contraceptives is good for society.
Regarding immigration, the majority of Trump supporters (63%) were in favor of deporting all illegal immigrants. Only 11% of Biden supporters said the same. Biden supporters were more likely to allow undocumented immigrants to stay if certain requirements are met.
Trump supporters were also significantly more likely (81%) than Biden supporters (40%) to say the criminal justice system is not tough enough on criminals. Both sides agreed, however, that police and law enforcement should treat all races equally.
Both supporters of Trump (71%) and Biden (74%) agreed that it is important to publicly discuss the country’s historical successes, and 78% of Biden supporters and 60% of Trump’s said the same thing about discussing the country’s flaws and failures.
Both sides also overwhelmingly agreed that open discussions of mental health would be good for society, and they both also thought that using artificial intelligence in daily life is bad for society.
