#The tower of americas series

But the Hidden Tribes research is detailed, the sample is large, and our approach was open-ended. Of course, public opinion research only tells a partial story. The result is a unique portrait of the American public that we believe is both more revealing and more actionable than typical surveys. Our breakdown of Americans into groups is tied to how they express their core beliefs, which isn’t necessarily aligned with conventional demographic measures like age, gender, level of education, or ethnic background. This revealed seven groups of Americans―what we call Hidden Tribes―with distinctive views and values. We used an advanced statistical process called hierarchical clustering to identify groups of people with similar core beliefs. By focusing on core beliefs, we illuminated the hidden architecture that animates the lives and views of ordinary Americans.

#The tower of americas series

We also aimed to understand why people held the positions they did through a specially designed series of questions that helped us identify people’s core beliefs about the world―questions about their identity and the basic values and beliefs that influence the way people see the world. Survey participants answered hundreds of questions about many of today’s most important issues and their hopes, fears and concerns for the future. We also conducted six hour-long focus groups and 30 one-on-one interviews of at least one hour’s duration with people from across the seven population segments. The Hidden Tribes of America survey collected the views of more than 8,000 people, a group of US citizens statistically representative of the population based on census data. Yet somehow, if we could only press a 'reset' button, it feels like things could be different and we could move forward together as a country. When people don't understand each other, they can't converse or find common ground. Instead of helping us find solutions to move us all forward, politics is driving us apart. Today, we seem more fractured and fragmented than anyone can remember. Nobody wants simply to turn the clocks back, because there was a lot that wasn't right about the world of the past.

The loudest and most extreme voices get heard, and others just feel like tuning out altogether. We're being played off each other and told to see each other as threats and enemies, not Americans just like us but with separate experiences and views. We don't seem to disagree anymore without perceiving another person's views as stupid, wrong or even evil.

Our news feeds seem to just echo our own views, and when people post alternative opinions they are often attacked by angry mobs. Everyone appears to have a varying version of world events, and it feels harder than ever to sort fact from fiction. The institutions that once bound us are disappearing, and we no longer seem to have each other's backs. Many Americans wonder who and what they can still trust. It feels as though hard work is no longer rewarded, and the gap between rich and poor widens every year. The secure job, the growing wage, and the safety of neighborhood life where everyone knew each other-these all feel like relics of a bygone era. Today's polarization reflects a perfect storm: Unsettling changes in our economy and society have left many Americans feeling like strangers in their own land. That’s the focus of the Hidden Tribes project: to understand better what is pulling us apart, and find what can bring us back together. We must be able to listen to each other to understand those differences and find common ground. Americans have real differences and real disagreements with each other. Turning the tide of tribalism is possible―but it won’t be easy. They share a deep sense of gratitude that they are citizens of the United States. They know we have more in common than that which divides us: our belief in freedom, equality, and the pursuit of the American dream. A majority of Americans, whom we’ve called the ' Exhausted Majority,' are fed up by America’s polarization.

On the Internet, social media has become a hotbed of outrage, takedowns, and cruelty-often targeting total strangers.īut this can change. In the media, pundits score points, mock opponents, and talk over each other. We are experiencing these divisions in our workplaces, neighborhood groups, even our places of worship.

At home, polarization is souring personal relationships, ruining Thanksgiving dinners, and driving families apart. We block our ears to diverse perspectives. We reject each other’s premises and doubt each other’s motives. In our public debates, it seems that we no longer just disagree. Our research concludes that we have become a set of tribes, with different codes, values, and even facts.