Challenging the Myth of Division

Turn on cable news and you'll hear the same story: America has never been more divided. Republicans and Democrats can't agree on anything. The country is split down the middle on every issue. Red states vs. blue states. Left vs. right. We're told we live in two different Americas.

But the data tells a very different story.

The Bipartisan Consensus You Never Hear About

In May 2024, YouGov surveyed Americans on 155 specific policy proposals. The results were stunning:

109 policies (70%) were supported by majorities of both Democrats and Republicans
95% of policies were supported by a majority of Americans overall
Nearly 150 issues show bipartisan agreement across more than a dozen policy areas

This isn't an outlier. A major report by Voice of the People, based on surveys of more than 80,000 Americans, confirmed the same pattern: majorities from both parties agree on nearly 150 key policy positions.

Think about that. On the vast majority of specific, detailed policies — the kind that would actually become law — Americans across the political spectrum already agree.

Example 1: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation (A "Left" Idea with Overwhelming Support)

Medicare negotiating drug prices is often portrayed as a progressive, Democratic policy. President Biden championed it. Republicans in Congress opposed it. The media framed it as partisan.

But here's what Americans actually think:

According to the KFF Health Tracking Poll (September 2024):
- 85% of all voters support allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices
- 77% of Republicans support it
- 89% of independents support it
- 92% of Democrats support it

Multiple other polls confirm the same pattern:
- West Health-Gallup (2024): 75% Republicans, 95% Democrats
- Data for Progress (2023): 75% Republicans, 92% Democrats
- YouGov (2023): 65% Republicans, 79% Democrats

This isn't a "left" policy. It's an American policy that 3 out of 4 Republicans support.

Example 2: Border Security (A "Right" Idea with Broad Consensus)

Border security is typically framed as a conservative issue. Republicans campaign on it. Democrats are portrayed as opposing it. The narrative says this is a dividing line.

But again, the polling tells a different story:

A Third Way poll found that 85% of voters — across party lines — agreed with this statement:

"We need to restore order at the border by adding more border security agents and immigration judges and investing in technology to improve the detection and confiscation of illegal drugs like fentanyl."

The 2024 bipartisan border bill, negotiated by both Republican and Democratic senators, included provisions that had previously garnered strong bipartisan support — until political leaders killed it for electoral reasons.

This isn't about open borders vs. closed borders. It's about practical solutions that most Americans already support.

Example 3: Paid Family Leave (Another "Left" Policy with Republican Support)

Paid family leave is often considered a progressive priority. But look at the numbers:

A 2024 national poll by BPC Action and Morning Consult found:
- 82% of all voters support a federal paid family and medical leave program
- 76% of Republicans support it
- 79% of independents support it
- 90% of Democrats support it

Three-quarters of Republicans supporting paid family leave. Yet you'd never know it from political debates, where it's treated as a partisan issue.

Where We Actually Agree

The areas with the strongest bipartisan consensus might surprise you:

Education:
- Requiring financial literacy education in high schools
- Increasing federal funding for trade schools and vocational training
- Funding free meals for low-income public school students

Criminal Justice:
- Requiring body cameras for police officers
- Duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force
- National registry for police misconduct

Immigration:
- Legal status and path to citizenship for Dreamers (brought to U.S. as children)
- Increasing work visas for legal immigration

Social Security:
- Reducing benefits for top 25% of earners
- Increasing taxes to address projected shortfalls

What the People Want: Congress to Work Together

Perhaps most tellingly, a Bipartisan Policy Center poll found that 67% of voters prefer their member of Congress to work collaboratively to achieve solutions and pass legislation.

We don't just agree on policies. We agree that we want our representatives to work together.

Why You Don't Know This

If Americans agree on so much, why does it feel like we're hopelessly divided?

Because the current system profits from conflict:
- Cable news gets better ratings from outrage than consensus
- Political fundraising depends on making the other side seem dangerous
- Primary elections reward extremism over compromise
- Special interests thrive when ordinary citizens feel powerless

The rhetoric of division serves everyone except the American people.

What DirectGov Changes

When citizens can:
- Propose specific policies (not vague talking points)
- See fiscal and equity analysis (not partisan spin)
- Vote on detailed provisions (not party platforms)
- Collaborate transparently (not through special interest filters)

The hidden consensus becomes visible. The solutions emerge. The majority actually rules.

The bottom line: You have more in common with your political "opponents" than the system wants you to believe. On policy after policy — from drug prices to border security to family leave — Americans already agree.

We're not as divided as they tell us. We're just being divided against each other by people who profit from it.

What do you think? Join DirectGov and propose your own solutions. You might be surprised how many people agree with you — even people you thought were on the "other side."

We Agree on More Than You Think