The hidden tribes of American politics

[MillCreek]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/opinion/politics-race-white-tribalism.html

https://hiddentribes.us/

https://hiddentribes.us/quiz

See which political group you fall into.  Interesting that the people on both the far left and far right are overwhelmingly white, affluent and well-educated.

[Scout26]

Devoted Conservatives
6% of Americans
“To me, being patriotic means taking care of your own first, and if the country is not doing economically well [enough] to take care of ourselves, how can we take care of everyone else?”

53-year old woman, New York, Devoted Conservative

The Devoted Conservatives are the counterpart to the Progressive Activists, but at the other end of the spectrum. They are one of the highest-income groups, and they feel happier and more secure than most other Americans. They are highly engaged in social and political issues and think that religious liberty, abortion, and terrorism are especially critical issues. They value patriotism and loyalty to the flag. They feel that traditional values are under assault and that Americans are being forced to accept liberal beliefs about issues such as immigration, racial inequality, Islam, and the role of women. They believe that American values are being eroded rapidly, and they see themselves as defenders of those values.

Main concerns:
Immigration, Terrorism, and Jobs/Economy

Compared to the average American:
Almost twice as likely to list politics as a hobby (63 percent v. 35 percent)
Three times more likely to support a US-Mexico border wall (75 percent v. 24 percent)
More than twice as likely to have donated to their place of worship (64 percent v. 24 percent)
Almost three times more likely to support a Muslim Travel Ban (88 percent v. 31 percent)
Twenty-four percent more likely to oppose compromise (63 percent v. 39 percent)
Nineteen percent more likely to be white (88 percent v. 69 percent)
Fourteen percent more likely to be older than 65 (34 percent v. 20 percent) and much less likely to be young adults born between 1985 and 2000 (11 percent v. 27 percent)
More likely to come from the South (45 percent v. 38 percent)

Yeah, it's not biased at all "Muslim Travel Ban".  Since when are Venezuela and North Korea Muslim countries?

But it does describe me fairly well.

[Hawkmoon]

It says I am Politically Disengaged (a part of the "Exhausted Majority").

I certainly feel politically exhausted, I admit. But to them Politically Disengaged is very much dead center, and I don't think that describes me at all.

The Politically Disengaged most resemble Passive Liberals in
having lower levels of income and education and being less
engaged in following current affairs. Fully 41 percent are making
less than $30,000 per year, and approximately one in four have
gone without enough food or without medical treatment at least
somewhat often. They are different from Passive Liberals in
being more anxious about external threats and less open in their
attitudes towards differences. For instance, they are the most
likely to say that being white is necessary to be American and
that people who hold other religious views are morally inferior.
They are more concerned about the threat of terrorism and are
quite closed to the view that Islamic and American values are
compatible. They are practically invisible in local politics and
community life, being one of the least likely groups to participate
in political rallies or vote in local elections. They are also the least
well informed group on all measures of political knowledge.
They are the most pessimistic about the possibility of reconciling
differences between political factions. Overall, this makes the
Politically Disengaged a difficult segment to reach and mobilize.

Main concerns

GUN VIOLENCE, JOBS/ECONOMY AND TERRORISM

Overview
–
Compared to the average American:

Eight percent more likely to say that to fix America, we need a strong leader willing to break the rules -
57% V. 45%
–
Nine percent more likely to believe the “differences between Americans are too big for us to work together” -
32% V. 23%
–
Nine percent more likely to say that “being white” is important to being American -
20% V. 11%
–
Nine percent more likely to make under $20,000 a year -
26% V. 17%
–
More than twice as likely to not be involved  in any community activity -
78% V. 34%
–
Much less likely to share political content on social media -
5% V. 26%
–
Much less likely to be registered to vote
 -
52% V. 72%
–
Ten percent more likely to be black or Hispanic
 -
34% V. 24%
–
Six percent more likely to be aged 30-44
 -
31% V. 25%
–
Sixteen percent more likely to have no college education
 -
53% V. 37%

So, according to them, I am most likely to be black or Hispanic [wrong], making less than $20,000/year [wrong -- Social Security pays more than that], age 30-44 [missed it by thaaaaat much], don't have a college education (I have a master's], and not registered to vote [I've been registered since the first year I was eligible to register].

All in all -- I'd say it's somewhere between a D- and an F+ for pegging me correctly.

They did get one thing right, though:

"They are more concerned about the threat of terrorism and are quite closed to the view that Islamic and American values are compatible."

[brimic]

I thought this was going to be about identifying as a Native American....

[Hawkmoon]

I thought this was going to be about identifying as a Native American....

To do that you have to have your DNA compared to some stranger in Guatemala.

[Ben]

Hmm.

"The American system is rigged towards the wealthy"
"The American system is fair"

Seems there should be one more choice there about "rigged" eh? Because one of the most noticeable things to me over the past few years is that if anything, "the rigging" seems to be towards groups that want free stuff that I pay for. I don't consider that "fair".

There were several other questions that followed this same pattern.

Also, "gone without enough food to eat?" That's a never for everyone in the US. Basic nourishment is widely available to everyone. If not being able to swallow your pride and hit the soup kitchen is your reason for going without, you're not really starving. That's a pretty offensive question when you think about all the places in the world where people wonder if they'll eat this week, let alone today, let alone make it through the week without being killed.

It put me at traditional conservative. I don't know what it means other than apparently they had to get "Fox News" in there for my overview. I wonder how geographic this is? I'm "twice as likely to feel I have a say in the political process". Not in California bubba.

[lee n. field]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/opinion/politics-race-white-tribalism.html

https://hiddentribes.us/

https://hiddentribes.us/quiz

See which political group you fall into.  Interesting that the people on both the far left and far right are overwhelmingly white, affluent and well-educated.

Gave up somewhere in the middle.   Not nuanced, false alternatives.

[makattak]

I got "Moderates" which is absolutely hilarious, given that I'd be willing to put my Conservative bonafides against almost anyone.

Likely I got that result because many of the words they were purposely vague- other than the fact that the quiz obviously had certain leanings.

I also love how they suggested that certain values in children are oppositional, when they should both be valued. (Do you want and Independent Child or one who Respects their Elders!... ummm... I'd prefer some of both, not either or, Mr. Quiz.)

[Ben]

I also love how they suggested that certain values in children are oppositional, when they should both be valued. (Do you want and Independent Child or one who Respects their Elders!... ummm... I'd prefer some of both, not either or, Mr. Quiz.)

Yes, all the "children" questions were weird either/or questions. There is zero reason someone can't be both well-behaved and creative or inquisitive and polite.

Unless you're yelling at a senator in a restaurant.

[AJ Dual]

Anyone else bothered that these two endpoint categories make no sense and are inherently oxymoronic?

Devoted Conservatives subscribe to a Hobbesian narrative. It’s a dangerous world. Life is nasty, brutish and short. We need strict values and strong authority to keep us safe.

Progressive Activists, on the other hand, subscribe to a darkened Rousseauian worldview. People may be inherently good, but the hierarchical structures of society are awful. The structures of inequality and oppression have to be dismantled.
 

How are Devoted Conservatives going to have "strong authority" if deregulation and smaller government are cornerstones of the ideology?
 
And conversely,  how are Progressive Activists going to "dismantle the hierarchical structures of inequality and oppression" by building up the biggest hierarchical structure of them all?

[TechMan]

Traditional Conservatives
19% of Americans
“The America that I grew up with is gone. And I miss that.”

57-year-old woman, Mississippi, Traditional Conservative

Traditional Conservatives value patriotism and America’s Christian foundations. They feel that those foundations are under threat from a liberal culture that emphasizes diversity and devalues America’s achievements. They believe in values such as personal responsibility and self-reliance, and they think that too much emphasis is given to issues of gay rights, sexual harassment, and racism. They have a clear sense of identity as American, Christian, and conservative, but they are not as strident in their beliefs as Devoted Conservatives. For example, they are open to dialogue or compromise on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought here as children, and they acknowledge that racist acts persist in the United States. They are suspicious of the traditional media, yet they are more likely than any other group to feel their voice is represented in American politics.

Main concerns:
Foreign Tensions, Jobs, and Terrorism

Compared to the average American:
Thirty-three percent less likely to say the country is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful (47 percent v. 80 percent)

Almost twice as likely to feel that people like them have a say in politics (46 percent v. 24 percent)

Eight percent more likely to say that “having two American parents” is a “very important” part of being American (23 percent v. 15 percent)

More than twice as likely to strongly approve of Donald Trump’s job performance (49 percent v. 19 percent)

Twice as likely to watch Fox News (57 percent v. 28 percent) and listen to talk radio (25 percent v. 11 percent)

Ten percent more likely to be white (79 percent v. 69 percent)

Ten percent more likely to be older than 65 (30 percent v. 20 percent)

Education similar to average American's

[TechMan]

Here is the whole list: https://hiddentribes.us/profiles

[BlueStarLizzard]

I got "Moderates" which is absolutely hilarious, given that I'd be willing to put my Conservative bonafides against almost anyone.

Likely I got that result because many of the words they were purposely vague- other than the fact that the quiz obviously had certain leanings.

I also love how they suggested that certain values in children are oppositional, when they should both be valued. (Do you want and Independent Child or one who Respects their Elders!... ummm... I'd prefer some of both, not either or, Mr. Quiz.)

Don't worry. I got Traditional Liberal.

It's got a couple questions that do what I hate, which is makes the assumption that your personal opinion about something is the same as your political opinion. Ironically, it actually had one question that was to clarify if you thought laws should be made about stuff you find distasteful. 

[HeroHog]

My tribe is apparently...

Moderates
15% of Americans

Main concerns:

Division, Foreign Tensions, and Healthcare
Compared to the average American:

    More likely to follow current affairs some or most of the time (80 percent v. 72 percent)

    Five percent more likely to agree that immigration is good for the country (61 percent v. 56 percent)

    Four percent more likely to say police are more violent toward African Americans than others (55 percent v. 51 percent)

    Nine percent more likely to believe that political correctness has gone too far (89 percent v. 80 percent)

    Six percent more likely to be over 45 (60 percent v. 54 percent)

    Four percent more likely to have “some college” (27 percent v. 23 percent)

and yes, the questions suck and are too narrowly worded!

[AZRedhawk44]

Anyone else bothered that these two endpoint categories make no sense and are inherently oxymoronic?

How are Devoted Conservatives going to have "strong authority" if deregulation and smaller government are cornerstones of the ideology?
 
And conversely,  how are Progressive Activists going to "dismantle the hierarchical structures of inequality and oppression" by building up the biggest hierarchical structure of them all?

Voluntaryist/Anarchist here, AnCap Agorist through and through.  I took it.

It's rife with undefined subjective terminology.  What exactly is "Justice" in context of one of the questions?  Application of the law to everyone (even bad laws)?  Or purging of bad laws that serve to only harm the offender while not protecting any individuals (malum in se)?

I answered every question in a way that expressed desire for decentralization, destruction of authoritarianism, reduction in law enforcement scope and authority, and affirmation of individual capacity to achieve.

They classified me as a Traditional Liberal.  I reject the very first quote they threw at me about "me." 

I note that in adively's link to all profiles that they only account for Left/Right in this, liberal or conservative.  No mention of libertarian tendencies at all.

In short, it's garbage.

[Ron]

They say I’m a moderate.

[Sindawe]

The quiz puts me in the Traditional Conservative tribe.  Fairly accurate baring the focus on Christianity.