Group Perceptions in America: Demographic and Ideological Divides

Abstract

We examine Americans' attitudes towards diverse social and political groups using data from the 2023 SPEER Survey. Employing feeling thermometers, we analyze perceptions of left-sympathetic and rightsympathetic groups across a wide range of demographic, socioeconomic, and ideological factors. Our findings reveal significant patterns in group attitudes, with political ideology emerging as a consistent predictor across both categories. Age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, income, rurality, family structure, and religious beliefs also play varying roles of significance in shaping those perceptions. Leftsympathetic groups generally received warmer ratings from younger, more educated, and less religious respondents, while right-sympathetic groups were viewed more favorably by conservative, rural, and religiously active individuals. These survey results highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing group perceptions in American society, contributing to our understanding of affective polarization and social divisions. These insights begin to document the foundation of feelings toward other groups which has important implications for social cohesion, political behavior, and policy preferences in an increasingly polarized society.