Are They Destroying What WeValue Most?

“They want to destroy what we value most.” This is an idea that may explain some of the polarization we see today. We sometimes hear that the other side is an “existential threat.”

The claim is not just about a possible difference in values or policies. It is a claim about malicious intent.

Two months before the 2024 election, Pew Research published a relevant report: 81% of Trump voters believed that “the other side fundamentally disagrees about America’s core values and goals”; 75% of Harris voters felt the same way about their opponents.

Consider these values: Freedom, Democracy, Fairness, Safety, Tolerance. All sides may genuinely value these. But there may be disagreement about how to achieve them.

One side might want to ensure safety by limiting access to guns. The other side might perceive this as a threat to something they hold dear. Yet both sides value safety.

Most Americans value tolerance. Yet they may disagree about limiting hate speech. How much do we have to tolerate intolerant speech versus intolerant behavior?

Democracy can allow a majority to limit the freedom of minority groups. What seems fair to one group may seem like an attack on another group.

Even when values are shared, there may be a difference in priorities.

And we should distinguish between conflicting values and conflicting interests. Landlords and tenants have conflicting interests. As do employers and employees. And producers and consumers. We can seek win-win solutions, but some conflict and compromise will be unavoidable.

There is one bit of good news: People often misjudge what the other side actually believes. An organization called More In Common found a large “perception gap.”

Some notable examples: 85% of Republicans agree that “Properly controlled immigration can be good for America.” While Democrats estimate only 52% of Republicans would feel that way. A perception gap of 33%. And 79% of Republicans agree that “Racism still exists in America” while Democrats think it is just 51% of Republicans who would agree.

On the other side: Republicans think that only 38% of Democrats oppose open borders. In fact, 74% of Democrats oppose open borders.

Where do people get these misperceptions? The More In Common study asked people what news sources they used. As you might guess, partisan media explained a lot of the misperception. Interestingly, those who got their news from the major TV networks ABC, CBS, and NBC tended to be more accurate in their perception of the other side than those who did not follow news at all.

Those who posted political content most on social media tended to be most inaccurate about the views of the other side!

In general, Republicans had a higher overall perception gap about Democrats than Democrats had about Republicans. But there was one exception: Highly educated Democrats had a very high misperception of Republicans. Perhaps due to less mixing with Republicans. Republicans had high misperception of Democrats regardless of education level.

Some people on each side do hold extreme views and they may be quite vocal about it. But that does not mean their views are widely accepted by that side.

There is a fine line between “values” and “issues.” Universal healthcare is a prime example. Healthcare goes to the root of how we value our fellow human beings. Depending how the question is worded, a majority of Republicans support the idea that every American has a right to healthcare.

The numbers fall if it comes down to the specifics of how much government should provide that care and/or pay for it. Interestingly, a 2025 Pew study showed that 60% of lower income Republicans support something like Medicare for all.

The Climate Crisis is a similar case. This was not a partisan issue in the past. It has become a subject of massive disinformation. Values are shared that we must protect the planet. And specific policies are shared. But Republicans are factually misinformed on the threat.

There are malevolent actors in the world. And there are also forces that benefit from division. Overall, the world will work better when we realize that most humans share similar human values