2024 General Election omnibus survey-5

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY
OR CRISIS OF IDENTITY?
2024 VOTER PERCEPTIONS
January 2025

Methodology
Lake Research Partners designed and administered this pre-election and election night omnibus phone
survey which was conducted using professional interviewers from November 3 - 5, 2024. The questions
about voting and the demographics reached a total of 2,454 actual voters nationwide who voted in
the 2024 election or were planning to vote later on Tuesday – 2,033 interviews among voters who were
reached on cell phones, including 1,422 interviews completed by text-to-online, and 421 interviews
among voters who were reached on landlines. Issue questions reached a total of 1,220 or 1,234 registered
voters nationwide who voted in the 2024 elections or who were planning to vote later on Tuesday.
Telephone numbers were drawn from the TargetSmart voter file. The sample was stratified geographically
based on the proportion of registered voters in each region. The data were weighted to reflect the
aggregated presidential vote as reported in the 2024 exit polls, as well as by gender, region, CDC metro
area, age, race, party identification, party identification by gender, education, race by gender, presidential
ballot, congressional ballot, education by gender by race, marital status, marital status by gender, choice
stance, and 2020 vote history to reflect the actual proportions of the electorate.
The margin of error for total voter sample is +/- 2.0%.
2

Half of voters agree more that we have lost our common identity and are now divided
and polarized, while a minority believe our differences and diversity can come together
to produce a strong economy and democracy.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
In America our differences and diversity can come together to
produce one of the strongest economies and democracies in the
world
In America we have lost our common identity and are now divided
and polarized along ideological, cultural, and racial lines that
weakens us
44
50
54
39
35
62
All Voters
Harris Voters
Trump Voters
3

Black and Democratic voters feel that in America, diversity is a strength more than they
feel America is divided and polarized. White voters, and especially independent and
Republican voters are less optimistic.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
In America our differences and diversity can come together to
produce one of the strongest economies and democracies in the
world
In America we have lost our common identity and are now divided
and polarized along ideological, cultural, and racial lines that
weakens us
-7
-15
+29
-6
+22
-15
-25
44
50
40
55
60
31
44
50
59
37 37
52
37
61
All Voters
White Voters
Black Voters
Latinx Voters
Democrat
Ind/DK
Republican
4

Battleground states and districts, which endured considerably more political advertising,
are more likely than other areas to believe America is divided and polarized.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
In America our differences and diversity can come together to
produce one of the strongest economies and democracies in the
world
In America we have lost our common identity and are now divided
and polarized along ideological, cultural, and racial lines that
weakens us
-7
-17
-4
-18
-22
44
50
39
56
45
49
56
38 38
60
All Voters Pres BG states Pres Rest of Country Senate BG states
Congressional BG
5

Views on our differences and common identity have shifted dramatically since 2014,
when a narrow plurality believed our differences and diversity were strengths.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
In America our differences and diversity can come together to
produce one of the strongest economies and democracies in the
world
In America we have lost our common identity and are now divided
and polarized along ideological, cultural, and racial lines that
weakens us
39
34
44
50
26
[Both,
Neither,
or DK]
6
[DK]
All Voters, 2014
All Voters, 2024
In 2014, “both,” “neither” and “don’t know were not asked but recorded. In 2024, only “don’t know” was recorded.
6

Most demographics shifted toward believing we have lost our common identity, notably Latinos and
Republican women. However Black and Democratic voters moved toward believing our diversity produces
strength. Generationally, only the Silent Generation moved toward believing our diversity produces
strength.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
In America our differences and diversity can come together to produce
one of the strongest economies and democracies in the world
In America we have lost our common identity and are now divided and
polarized along ideological, cultural, and racial lines that weakens us
Net “Diversity Produces Strength” 2014 Voters 2024 Voters Net Margin Change
All Voters
White
Black
Latino
Democrats
Independent men
Independent women
Republican men
Republican women
Millennial
Gen X
Baby Boomer
Silent
+5
+3
-2
+30
+15
-1
+10
-11
+1
+6
+6
+3
-6
-15
+29
-6
+22
-21
-6
-23
-26
-10
0
-11
-11
-19
+31
-36
+7
-20
-16
-12
-27
-16
-6
-14
7

An overwhelming majority of voters prefer a leadership style of working together
respectfully. Men under 30 and Republicans under 30 are more likely than others to
prefer a leadership approach of asserting power and authority.
Which of the following leadership approaches do you prefer?
Working together with others
respectfully and with integrity toward
solutions
84
10
94
Asserting power and authority to direct
people to implement solutions
3
74
19
Voters Under 30
Men <30
Women <30
Democrat <30
Republican <30
Voters Over 30
Men 30+
Women 30+
Democrat 30+
Republican 30+
Respect
71
86
95
66
83
86
95
77
Direct
26
7
4
29
10
9
3
18
All Voters Harris Voters Trump Voters
8

A plurality of voters prefer a leadership style of working together and
believe that our differences can produce strength. Just 8 percent prefer an
authoritative approach and believe we have lost common identity.
Distribution of Responses for Overlap in
these two Questions
Preferred Leadership Style
Working together
respectfully
Asserting power and
authority
Perception
Our differences
can produce
strength
41%
2%
of Society
We have lost
common
identity
38%
8%
9

Partisanship and views on abortion correlate with views on leadership style and society. Those who say
abortion should always be illegal and younger Republicans are more likely than others to say we have lost
our common identity and prefer an authoritarian leadership style. Pro-choice Black and Democratic voters
are among those most likely to see diversity as producing strength and value working together respectfully.
Demographics that disproportionally
fall in each quadrant
Working together respectfully
Preferred Leadership Style
Asserting power and authority
Our differences
can produce
strength
64%
60%
57%
55%
Pro-choice Black
Pro-choice Democrat
Urban women
Racial justice/equity top issues
7%
7%
6%
6%
Fathers
Abortion always illegal
Men <50
Northeast men
Perception
of Society
We have lost
common
identity
50%
50%
49%
47%
47%
47%
Widowed Rural women
Retired labor union member
White non-college women
White college men White
college men
31%
25%
23%
23%
20%
Abortion always illegal
Republicans <30
Current labor union member
Rural men
Men <30
10

For press inquiries, contact Elizabeth Rosen.
elizabeth@futurecaucus.org