Politics with Paul

Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

What Do Democrats and Republicans Agree On? More Than You Think | Politics with Paul #85

E86 • Mar 24, 2026 • 42 mins

Republicans and Democrats just can't get along…or can they? Almost all the talk about interparty relations is about how much they bicker, fight, and attack each other. And it's true, there is a lot that divides us. However, there is a surprising amount that both parties actually agree on - they just don't realize it. But it's easy to say that we actually have a lot of common ground - how about some examples? Today's episode will show you why we focus so much on differences between the parties, why we underestimate the level of similarities, some of the contexts through which we can study and showcase commonalities, and why acknowledging these commonalities is key for making progress on our country's most pressing problems.

Key Points

People often overstate the differences between Democrats and Republicans due to our natural in-group and out-group biases, as well as the influence of polarized media and interest groups.
Despite the perception of extreme polarization, there is substantial bipartisan agreement on many issues at the federal, state, and local levels, as evidenced by various legislative examples and public opinion polls.
Both parties share fundamental values such as freedom, equality, and public safety, and finding common ground on these values can help bridge divides and foster more constructive dialogue.

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Speakers

Paul Rader

Host • 92%

Paul Rader

Host • 8%

Chapters

0:00	Intro: DEMs and REPs Agree On More Than You Think
1:33	Why We Perceive More Difference Than There Actually is
5:58	4 Ways We Can Study Differences/Similarities Between the Parties
8:13	Method #1: Party in Government vs. Organization vs. Electorate
10:50	Method #2: Federal vs. State vs. Local Government
13:27	Method #3: Specific Political Issues and Policies
16:30	Method #4: Core Values
17:59	Similarities Between Parties: Elected Officials in Government
23:09	Similarities Between Parties on Specific Issues and Policies
30:10	Similarities Between Parties in Local Government
33:47	Similarities Between Parties on Core Values
35:20	Core Values Case Study #1: AP-NORC Poll in 2024
37:04	Core Values Case Study #2: Views on Civic Responsibilities
39:27	Closing: How Showing People Their Commonalities Leads to Progress
40:53	Links

Transcript

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