Our survey, conducted with our colleagues at The Mellman Group for the Bipartisan Policy Center and USA TODAY, was featured in Susan Page’s story on March 6:
Americans who blame Washington politicians for the polarization and gridlock of the nation’s politics might want to look in the mirror: Like the elected officials they decry, voters tend to automatically retreat into partisan camps even when they disagree with the party line on policy.
A USA TODAY/Bipartisan Policy Center Poll shows that the officials who have been unable to avert the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration – the current debate centers more on who’s to blame for them – in some ways reflect constituents who view the opposition party as deeply untrustworthy and its positions extreme. Though most Republican and Democratic voters say American politics are more polarized than the American people are, the findings indicate that on that they’re wrong.
To read the full story, please click here. For the toplines, please visit the Bipartisan Policy Center website here.