More in Common, which is described on its website as “a new international initiative, set up in 2017 to build communities and societies that are stronger, more united and more resilient to the increasing threats of polarisation and social division” has an interesting quiz designed to reveal whether respondents suffer from a “Perception Gap” or are, alternatively, “in sync with the American public.”
Apparently, many Americans do suffer from distorted perceptions of the sort More in Common focuses on–at least according to research described on More in Common’s website:
To learn how well Americans understand each other, we partnered with global research firm YouGov to survey 2,100 Americans. On issues including climate change, patriotism, sexual assault, police conduct and more, we asked Americans what they themselves believed and what they estimated people on the other side believed. We were then able to calculate the difference between the predictions and reality.
The conclusion? Americans have a deeply distorted understanding of each other. We call this America’s “Perception Gap”. Overall, Democrats and Republicans imagine almost twice as many of their political opponents as reality hold views they consider “extreme”. Even on the most controversial issues in our national debates, Americans are less divided than most of us think. This is good news for those worried about the character of this country. The majority of Americans hold views that may not be so different from your own.
Take the quiz and see where you stand. Better yet, ask yourself how you might help work to narrow the “Perception Gap.”
