While Democrats often champion the importance of tolerance, a recent poll of college students determined that Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to be open to having friends who voted for the opposing presidential candidate.
While 37% of Democrats would definitely or likely not have such a politically-opposite friend, only 5% of Republicans are so closed-minded.
According to Generation Lab/Axios poll, 10% of Democrats would “definitely not” have a friendship with a person who voted for the opposing presidential candidate, compared to 0% of Republicans who share this sentiment. While 27% of Democrats would “probably not” have such a friend, only 5% of Republicans feel that way.
Similarly, the survey of college students found that a whopping 71% of Democrats would definitely or likely not go out on a date with someone who voted for the opposing presidential contender, while just 31% of Republicans would limit their dating pool in this way.
The poll found that 41% of Democrats would “probably not” date a person who voted for the opposing candidate, and 30% would “definitely not.” Among Republicans, 24% would “probably not” do so, while 7% would “definitely not.”
College Democrats were also less willing to shop at or support the company of someone who cast their ballot for the opposing presidential candidate.
Nearly a third (32%) of Democrats would “probably not” shop at or support such a business, while 9% would “definitely not” do so. On the other side of the political aisle, just 6% of Republicans would “probably not” shop at or support the company of an individual who voted for the opposing candidate, while 1% would “definitely not.”
“This study was conducted Nov. 18-22 from a representative sample of 850 students nationwide from 2-year and 4-year schools,” according to Axios. “The Generation Lab conducts polling using a demographically representative sample frame of college students at community colleges, technical colleges, trade schools and public and private four-year institutions.”
