The University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation said majorities in both parties backed the same 82 policies across surveyed states and congressional districts, documenting areas of agreement amid a polarized election year.
PPC’s Oct. 22 announcement also counted 101 policies with bipartisan majorities in at least two-thirds of those jurisdictions, and 106 policies in national surveys.
The results included respondents’ views on how federal officials represent public opinion. Participants estimated that federal decisions align with what most Americans would choose about 35% of the time, on average. Depending on the jurisdiction, 82% to 97% of Democrats and 80% to 95% of Republicans said lawmakers would be more likely to find common ground if the public had greater influence. The surveys recorded these expectations; they did not test whether more public influence would lead to additional agreements.
Respondents also saw potential benefits from a stronger public role in Congress. Between 62% and 88% of Democrats and 66% and 89% of Republicans said it could help break congressional gridlock. The shares who said it would help Congress serve the common good ranged from 77% to 94% among Democrats and 79% to 94% among Republicans.
The results reflect the questions PPC chose to ask. The group said it selected proposals after earlier national research found bipartisan support among people who received briefings and considered arguments on both sides. The Oct. 22 announcement describes 14 policy areas, including housing, health care, immigration, Social Security, taxes and criminal justice. It says most questions concerned proposals from Congress or the executive branch.
Two rounds of state and district surveys included 19,564 adults polled from May 27 to July 1 and 19,949 from July 21 to Aug. 17. National surveys covered 2,509 adults from Feb. 11-26 and 1,200 from March 11-19. PPC said it recruited participants through online opt-in panels and weighted the samples to match demographic benchmarks. State and district response rates ranged from 7.1% to 9.0%, with reported confidence intervals from ±2.9% to ±8.1%.
Steven Kull, PPC’s director, said, “Clearly, there is far more common ground among the American people than there is in Congress.”
