Our America’s Common Ground National Survey shows we are more united than you think.
Our America commissioned the Common Ground National Survey to determine what issues are the most important to voters heading into 2023.
The Our America Common Ground Survey polled 2,000 likely general election voters. The survey found the following are the five most important issues to voters:
- Enacting common sense criminal justice reforms that strengthen prison sentences for violent criminals (79% support)
- Limiting government spending to reduce the risk of inflation (76% support)
- Fully funding our police and law enforcement (75% support)
- Protecting religious freedom against the government taking away or limiting how anyone practices their religion (73% support)
- Strengthening election integrity by requiring photo identification for in-person voting (73% support)
The Our America Common Ground Survey also surveyed other issues, which were: healthcare, school choice, ending welfare for illegal immigrants, expanding the child tax credit, and abortion. While support for policies related to these issues varied, we are not surprised why the top five stood out.
At the end of the day, keeping communities safe from violent crime is the chief responsibility of the government, which is why cracking down on violent crime and funding police departments appeared in the top-three issues.
Given the rising rates of violent crime in America since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it should come as no surprise that nearly four-in-five (79%) of respondents support policies that strengthen prison sentences for violent crime.
Three-in-four of those polled support fully funding police and law enforcement. This means increasing the resources and manpower to the communities that need it most while improving the training police officers receive so they can more effectively serve and protect our communities.
But Americans are not just concerned about safety. In the famous words of Democratic strategist James Carville, “It’s the economy, stupid!” People are always concerned about their pocketbooks, particularly now during a time of serious inflation. Millions of Americans have directly felt the negative effects of increasing food prices, as the consumer price index still remains more than 6% from a year ago. For example, the average price of eggs has more than doubled over the past years. Americans from all walks of life are forced to make tradeoffs and difficult decisions every time they buy groceries for their families.
It may not be surprising that Americans are tired of inflation, but it does seem like a new development that more than three-in-four (76%) place the blame, at least in part, on high levels of spending by the federal government.
In addition, 73% of Americans support protections for religious liberty. America is a diverse country with many different religious beliefs. At their core, Americans want to live according to their conscience.
Lastly, 73% of respondents want to ensure election integrity by requiring photo identification when conducting in-person voting. To give perspective, only one country out of Europe’s 47 democracies does not require identification when voting in person. By requiring identification during in-person voting, America would move towards the democratic standard for securing election integrity.
At the end of the day, Americans have more in common than the media and many divisive politicians want you to believe. By focusing on these five issues, we can begin to address what really matters to Americans while also making us a stronger, more secure nation.
The Our America Common Ground Survey is a wake-up call for politicians and media figures who want to push a narrative of division. It is time to work towards common ground solutions that benefit us all.
