A new landmark study by the Siena College Research Institute illustrates that yes, our country is profoundly divided and civility is on the decline. But there is hopeful news for our nation: the SCRI’s American Values Survey (AVS) shockingly reveals a strong alignment of shared values among our citizens. 

The AVS was conducted this past spring under the direction of Don Levy, Ph.D. A total of 6,077 Americans from all 50 states who voted in the 2020 election took part. The scientifically-conducted study invited Americans to simultaneously consider our divisions and our shared values, as well as how to contribute to the preservation of the American experiment personally, collectively and politically.

“Are we divided? Yes.  Do we share core values? Absolutely. Are we proud to be Americans? For the most part. Do we think our great experiment will weather this storm? We’re somewhat hopeful, but concerned,” said Levy. 

To accompany the study, Siena President Chris Gibson ‘86, Ph.D. and fellow former Congressman Daniel Lipinksi of Illinois co-authored an in-depth position paper “America at a Crossroads,” analyzing the AVS results and examining the historical perspective of political division in America as well as our Founders’ intents toward shared power and collaboration to ensure the common good. Gibson and Lipinski offer their legislative recommendations for a unified path forward for our country. 

“The research findings point to the need for principled leadership and decisive legislative action now so that our social fabric and our faith in our ability to be self-governing can be restored,” wrote Gibson and Lipinski. “In this moment, we must boldly engage in reform that will honor and strengthen our union by following the guidance of our Founders…Contrary to conventional wisdom, common principles still tie us together and provide the foundation for pulling our country back together and striving forward.”

Full results of the AVS are being released to the media this weekend. Newsday will post in-depth coverage on their website Saturday at 5PM, with results in the print edition on Sunday. The Albany Times Union will feature print and online coverage this Sunday. 

Fifty-one percent of respondents voted for Joe Biden and 47 percent for Donald Trump, which mirrored the popular vote totals.  Thirty-one percent said that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump while 56 percent said not.  Half of the sample said that much of the mainstream media is fake news while 36 percent did not.  Twenty-six percent, a full quarter of Americans, said both that the election was stolen from Donald Trump and that much of the mainstream media is fake news.

Asked about four current issues – voting rights, a path to citizenship, assault weapons and abortion – Americans express their divisions.  By 61-39 percent they support a federal ban on assault weapons.  By 63-37 percent they support providing a path to citizenship, called amnesty by some, for those some call illegal aliens and others call undocumented immigrants.  Both of those initiatives are opposed by between 69-73 percent of Americans that think both that the election was stolen and that much of the mainstream media is fake.

 “These numbers appear to tell the same now familiar story of a divided nation that disagrees on issues and can be readily assigned to one ‘team’ or another with a less politically engaged group of citizens voters left in the middle,” Levy said.

The next part of the study yielded surprising and much more encouraging results. Respondents were asked to rate their adherence to 34 statements such as, “All people are equal, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, physical appearance, or any other personal characteristics,” and “Not everyone starts off with the same set of tools or skills, sometimes we need to level the playing field by giving some people a head start.”

The good news: Americans, across regions, political outlooks, the current partisan divide as well as by gender, race, ethnicity and age, all report believing in and embodying core American values. Using factor analysis to consider all answers, the SCRI identified three major value areas: equality, liberty and progress.  Summing the scores for each statement in that group and normalizing the scores on a 0 – 100 scale, Biden and Trump voters consistently averaged just over 80 on adherence to these values. 

“Beneath the current partisan divides, as real as they are, we find an underlying base of not just support for traditional American values, but more importantly, an assertion that those values guide us in our thoughts and actions on a daily basis,” Levy said.

Can political and social divisions be healed and our union be saved? Most of the respondents were optimistic, believing that we are held together by our Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence – our values.  

One respondent said, “I could sit here for hours and talk to you about the American way of life. It's…believing in the Constitution, the rule of law, the rights of all people to live their life as they choose, and that's the American way of life.”

More than any other divisive factor, politics and politicians were brought up by respondents as the primary cause of strife. They said past political decisions have contributed to enduring problems including wealth inequality, educational opportunity variance and greed supplanting shared purpose, and that politicians stoke divisions, divide and conquer, won’t work together to address the needs of the people and remarkably can’t be held accountable for misdeeds that are apparent to everyday citizens.

Gibson and Lipinski address these concerns in their paper, proposing solutions such as independent redistricting, legislation to reinforce separation of powers, and national service initiatives.

“We must not delay in taking decisive action,” they wrote. “The American Values Survey provides hope that our shared values of liberty, equality, and progress can help provide the common language we need to save the United States and experience our best century yet.”