Democrat voters fuelling increasing divide over race in America - poll
America has grown increasingly polarized over the last four years thanks to Democrats hardening their stance on race relations and equality.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSPeople take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, US, June 18, 2020(photo credit: JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS)
The widening division between Americans on race is being fuelled entirely by Democrats, who are increasingly likely to believe that Black Americans face discrimination, a new Pew Research poll has found.Although deep divides between Democratic and Republican voters on a number of questions around race, gender and family, immigration and religion are nothing new, the gap is significantly wider going into the 2020 presidential elections than it was in 2016.For example, in 2016 40% of Clinton voters and 4% of Trump voters agreed that white people benefit "a great deal: from advantages in society that black people do not have - translating to a 36 point gap between the two camps. But whereas among Trump supporters opinions had remained much the same with 5% agreeing in 2020, the percentage of Democrat backers who agreed has leapt to 59%, widening the divide to 54 points.Similarly, in 2016 57% of Clinton supporters and 11% of Trump supporters agreed that it is a lot more difficult to be a black person in America than it is to be white; a 46 point divide. Agreement among Trump supporters has slipped back marginally to 9%, but among Biden supporters has sky-rocketed to 74%, opening up a 65 point chasm.On some issues the divide has remained strong but stable, or has been baked in by both parties' supporters showing parity in movement in opposite directions.The question of gender equality is an example of the latter: in 2016, 72% of Clinton supporters and 31% of Trump supporters agreed that there are still significant obstacles that make it harder for women to get ahead than men. By 2020, the figure among Democrats had risen seven points to 79%, while it had dropped 5 points among Trump supporters to 26%, taking the divide from 41 to 53 points.Meanwhile, agreement that newcomers strengthen American society agreement has risen in line among both groups, from 71% to 84% of Democratic voters, and from 19% to 32% of Trump voters, preserving the 52 point gap between the two camps on the matter.And on others, the divide has grown but less dramatically, again fuelled primarily by Democratic voters.63% of Clinton voters and 16% of Trump voters agreed that the Islamic religion does not encourage violence more than others, rising to 74% of Biden voters and 23% of Trump voters in 2020, broadening the divide mildly by five points. Similarly, 69% of Clinton voters and 41% of Trump voters agreed that society is just as well off if people have priorities other than marriage and children, rising to 77% of Biden voters and 43% of Trump voters in 2020, growing the gap by six points.Setting the political partisan differences aside, younger voters were among those most likely to have experienced a shift in their opinions, while white voters have broadly remained of the same opinion as they were four years ago.
The findings come in a survey of 11,001 US adults, of which 9,114 are registered voters, conducted between July 27 and August 2 via Pew's American Trends Panel.
