Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Dining habits reflect Americans’ self-segregation

people having dinner
Portra Images/Getty Images

For centuries, people have used the phrase “breaking bread” to mean much more than just sharing a meal. It indicates a deeper connection, a bond that unites people around a common community. But what happens when we only break bread with those who reflect our own beliefs and backgrounds?

According to new polling, only half of Americans have had a meal with Democrats or Republicans over the past six months, and less than half have shared a meal with someone representing a racial minority. If the Ipsos/Axios poll is any indication, there is a common line between personal interactions and a sense of commonalities.

Three-quarters of respondents said they have “a lot” or “some” in common with white people, matching the 77 percent who said they have had a meal with a white person in the past six months.

But the numbers dropped off when the pollsters asked about minorities.


Forty-seven percent of people have had a meal with a Black person in the past six months and 55 percent said they have “a lot” or “some” in common with Black people. The numbers were even lower for Hispanic people (42 percent a shared meal/47 percent something in common) and Asian people (29/43).

The country appears to be evenly split when it comes to members of political parties, with less than half saying they have something in common with Democrats and the same for Republicans (and one quarter saying they have “nothing” in common in both cases).

Exactly 50 percent said they have shared a meal with a Democrat in the past six months, with the same percentage for Republicans.

According to the data, politics seems to create a wider chasm than race and religion.

Nearly half (46 percent) agreed with the statement, “People with opposing political views don’t share my values.” Just 39 percent disagreed.

However, when asked the same question but about people with different racial or religious backgrounds, just 26 percent agreed they do not share the same values and 60 percent disagreed.

Ipsos also asked people how confident they are that Americans will sort out differences over the next five years, and the answers were discouraging, with just 25 percent confident and 63 percent not confident.

The survey was conducted May 9-10 of 1,005 adults and had a margin of error of 3.8 percent.

Read More

A Witch Hunt Won’t Feed America
red meat in white plastic bag

A Witch Hunt Won’t Feed America

Missouri’s food economy runs on undocumented labor. Turning a blind eye won’t work anymore.

In meatpacking plants across Missouri, hundreds of workers clock in before dawn, keeping one of the state’s most essential industries up and running. Many of them are Latino immigrants, some undocumented, who have become the invisible backbone of Missouri’s $93.7 billion agriculture economy. They’re the ones who process the pork and clean the poultry that end up on our dinner tables.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two speech bubbles overlapping.

Recent data shows that Americans view members of the opposing political party overly negatively, leading people to avoid political discourse with those who hold different views.

Getty Images, Richard Drury

How To Motivate Americans’ Conversations Across Politics

Introduction

A large body of research shows that Americans hold overly negative distortions of those across the political spectrum. These misperceptions—often referred to as "Perception Gaps"—make civil discourse harder, since few Americans are eager to engage with people they believe are ideologically extreme, interpersonally hostile, or even threatening or inferior. When potential disagreement feels deeply uncomfortable or dangerous, conversations are unlikely to begin.

Correcting these distortions can help reduce barriers to productive dialogue, making Americans more open to political conversations.

Keep ReadingShow less
A medical professional wearing gloves, putting a band-aid on a patient's shoulder.

RFK Jr. has publicly challenged the safety of vaccines, although the evidence he cites is widely disputed by mainstream scientists, medical institutions, and public health experts.

Getty Images, Jackyenjoyphotography

Just the Facts: Vaccine Safety, RFK Jr.’s Claims, and Florida’s Mandate Rollback

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is currently the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and is responsible for shaping national health policy, managing public health programs, and guiding medical research and regulatory frameworks.

He has publicly challenged the safety of vaccines, including required childhood immunizations and COVID-19 vaccines. However, the evidence he cites is widely disputed by mainstream scientists, medical institutions, and public health experts.

Keep ReadingShow less
League of Women Voters of Arkansas President Bonnie Miller on a hike, standing in front of a landscape view.

Katie Fahey speaks with League of Women Voters of Arkansas President Bonnie Miller on democracy reform across the state and her work in civically educating and engaging residents.

The Fahey Q&A With Bonnie Miller of the League of Women Voters, Arkansas

Since organizing the Voters Not Politicians 2018 ballot initiative that put citizens in charge of drawing Michigan's legislative maps, Fahey has been the founding executive director of The People, which is forming statewide networks to promote government accountability. She regularly interviews colleagues in the world of democracy reform for our Opinion section.

Bonnie Miller is known for her activism in democracy reform in Arkansas and is the current president of the League of Women Voters of Arkansas and chair of Save AR Democracy, a campaign to protect ballot initiatives in Arkansas. In 2020, Miller led the Arkansas Voters First campaign, which garnered significant support but was eventually struck down by the Arkansas Supreme Court. She continues to lead the fight for a better democracy in her state while also working in higher education at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Keep ReadingShow less