Americans Agree on Almost Everything—We Just Don’t Realize It

I Fact-Checked a Viral Infographic About What Americans Actually Agree On. Here’s What I Found.

This infographic popped up on social media (which I know is evil but I use it to promote my ecom site) claiming Americans have overwhelming consensus on most major issues — Majority agreement across the board. Gun control, healthcare, abortion, climate change, you name it.

My first thought? WTF? “There’s no way this is accurate.” This has to be a manipulated fake graphic.

We’re supposed to be a divided nation, right? Red vs Blue. Liberal vs Conservative. Culture war raging everywhere.

So I did what any skeptical person would do: I fact-checked every single claim.

Turns out? The infographic undersold it.

Not only do Americans agree on most major policies — we agree by even BIGGER margins than the graphic showed on several issues. And when people have accurate information (not propaganda), those numbers go even higher.

Here’s what I found.

The Verified Numbers: What Americans Actually Agree On

I cross-referenced data from Gallup, Pew Research, YouGov, Navigator Research, PRRI, and other gold-standard polling organizations. These aren’t partisan polls. These are the real numbers.

**GUN SAFETY**

• 88-90% support universal background checks ✓ (VERIFIED)
• 92% Democrats, 70-84% Republicans, 70% NRA members
• 80% support red flag laws
• 61-67% support assault weapons ban

Why it’s not higher: The NRA and gun lobby have spent decades framing ANY regulation as “they’re coming for your guns.” It’s pure fear-mongering. Most gun owners WANT background checks.

**ABORTION**

• 63-69% say abortion should be legal in all/most cases ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 69%, EXACT MATCH)
• 85% Democrats, 39-41% Republicans, 69% Independents
• 69% specifically support first-trimester access
• Only 8-13% say it should be illegal in ALL cases

Why it’s not higher: Decades of religious right propaganda claiming abortion = murder, plus confusion about late-term abortions (which are extremely rare and usually medical emergencies). When people understand the reality — most abortions happen in the first trimester, often for medical/health reasons — support is overwhelming.

**HEALTHCARE**

• 59-62% support Medicare for All ✓ (VERIFIED)
• 62% say government should ensure everyone has coverage ✓ (VERIFIED – EXACT MATCH)
• 73% say the system needs major changes

BUT — and this is where it gets interesting:

• When told M4A would “eliminate private insurance” → drops to 46%
• When told you’d keep your doctors and hospitals → rises to 55%
• When given ACCURATE trade-offs (higher taxes but no premiums/deductibles/copays) → 63% support
• After hearing BOTH pro and con arguments → 58% STILL support

Why it’s not higher: This is the clearest example of how misinformation suppresses support. The insurance industry has spent hundreds of millions on:

• Claiming it’s “government-run” healthcare (it’s government-FUNDED — hospitals stay private)
• “You’ll lose your doctor!” (False — you’d actually have MORE choice)
• “Costs will explode!” (We already spend MORE per capita than any country with universal care)
• “Long wait times!” (Studies show wait times are comparable or better than current US system)

Reality check: When polls explain that M4A means no premiums, no deductibles, no copays, no medical bankruptcy, and you can see any doctor — support is HIGHER.

If Americans knew the truth about what M4A actually is, support would likely be 75-80%+.

**MONEY OUT OF POLITICS**

• 72-82% view unlimited spending as threat to democracy ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 77%)
• 77% support constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United ✓ (EXACT MATCH)
• 65% Democrats AND 60% Republicans say it’s a TOP PRIORITY

Why it’s not higher: Most people don’t fully understand how campaign finance works or that it’s even possible to change. When they learn the details, support spikes.

**WAGES & LABOR**

• 70-76% support raising minimum wage ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 70%, EXACT MATCH)
• 80%+ ALL parties say current $7.25 is too low
• 74% support $20/hour (89% Dem, 60% Rep)
• 70-71% approve of labor unions ✓ (VERIFIED – near 60-year high)
• 76-82% support paid family leave

Why it’s not higher: “Job killer” propaganda from business lobbies, despite all evidence showing higher wages stimulate the economy.

**CLIMATE**

• 73% believe climate change is happening ✓ (VERIFIED – EXACT MATCH)
• 74% support regulating CO2 as pollutant
• 72% prefer renewable energy over fossil fuels
• 66% support transition to 100% clean energy by 2050

Why it’s not higher: Fossil fuel industry disinformation campaign that spent decades sowing doubt. Still, solid majorities want action.

**DEMOCRACY REFORMS**

• 87% support term limits for Congress
• 79% support age limits for elected officials
• 67-75% support Supreme Court term limits ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 65%, actual data shows HIGHER)
• 85% Democrats, 67% Republicans
• 63-65% support abolishing Electoral College ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 65%, EXACT MATCH)
• 80% Democrats, 47% Republicans
• 69-77% oppose gerrymandering / support independent redistricting ✓ (infographic said 89% – this was HIGH, actual is 69-77%)
• 60%+ support ranked choice voting (73% Dem, 49% Rep)

Why it’s not higher: These are actually REMARKABLY high numbers given how little most people understand about these systems. When people learn how gerrymandering works or how RCV improves outcomes, support increases.

**SOCIAL ISSUES**

• 67-71% support same-sex marriage ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 69%, EXACT MATCH)
• 83% Democrats, 46% Republicans
• 64-70% support marijuana legalization ✓ (VERIFIED – infographic said 70%, EXACT MATCH)
• 87% Democrats, 55% Republicans
• 79% support raising taxes on the wealthy ✓ (VERIFIED – EXACT MATCH)
• 94% Democrats, 63% Republicans
• 61-71% support universal pre-K ✓ (infographic said 84% – appears HIGH, actual is 61-71%)

The Infographic Verdict: Mostly Accurate, Sometimes Conservative

Of the 18 major claims I fact-checked:

• 8 were EXACT matches (within 1-2%)
• 6 were verified accurate (within normal polling variation)
• 4 were partially verified (numbers slightly different but directionally correct)

The infographic’s thesis is STRONGLY SUPPORTED: Americans agree on 60-90% of major policies despite the division narrative.

In several cases (Supreme Court term limits, healthcare with accurate info), the REAL numbers are actually HIGHER than what the infographic claimed.

The 109-150 Policy Agreement

Here’s the kicker: A University of Maryland study surveyed 80,000+ Americans and found:

• 95% of policies tested had majority support
• 70% had bipartisan majorities (both Democrats AND Republicans agree)
• 109-150 specific policy positions where majorities of BOTH parties align

That’s not “areas of agreement” — that’s 150 individual policies.

And both sides overestimate how extreme the other party is by approximately 30%.

So Why Do We Think We’re So Divided?

Because wedge issues are deliberately used to obscure this consensus.

Think about what dominates the news cycle:

• Trans athletes (affects <1% of athletes)
• Critical Race Theory (most people can’t define it)
• Dr. Seuss books (really?)
• Drag queen story hour (happens in like 0.001% of libraries)
• “Wokeness” (a meaningless culture war term)

Meanwhile, 70-90% of Americans agree on:

• Making healthcare affordable
• Reducing money in politics
• Raising the minimum wage
• Protecting Social Security
• Climate action
• Gun safety measures
• Paid family leave

But you don’t see cable news panels debating “Should we poll both parties about their overwhelming support for universal background checks?”

Wedge issues function as political weapons. They:

1. Keep us focused on divisive social issues instead of economic policies

2. Prevent cross-partisan coalitions from forming

3. Protect elite interests who benefit from division

4. Generate media engagement (anger = clicks = $$$)

5. Give politicians something to campaign on without threatening donor interests

What’s Really Going On: The Misinformation Effect

Look at what happens to Medicare for All support based on how it’s presented:

| How It’s Framed | Support Level |

|—|—|

| “Do you support Medicare for All?” | 59-70% |

| “Even if it eliminates private insurance?” | 46% |

| “If you keep your doctors and hospitals?” | 55% |

| “Higher taxes but no premiums/deductibles?” | 63% |

| “After hearing BOTH arguments?” | 58% |

Notice a pattern? Support INCREASES when people get accurate information.

The same pattern holds across almost every issue:

• When people understand climate science → support for action increases
• When people learn what gerrymandering actually does → opposition increases
• When people see what other countries pay for healthcare → support for reform increases
• When people understand how campaign finance works → support for reform increases

The division is manufactured.

Industries that profit from the current system — health insurance, fossil fuels, private prisons, defense contractors, pharmaceutical companies — spend billions on lobbying and propaganda to:

1. Spread misinformation about reform

2. Fund politicians who block change

3. Control media narratives

4. Create artificial wedge issues

The Bottom Line

Americans aren’t deeply divided on policy. We’re deeply divided on perception of policy — because we’ve been systematically lied to about:

• What policies actually do
• What other countries have
• What’s actually possible
• Who benefits from the status quo

The data proves it:

• 70-90% agreement on policies that would improve lives
• Both parties want the same things on core economic issues
• Wedge issues obscure this consensus
• Misinformation suppresses support for change

We’re being played. The “division” benefits those who profit from dysfunction.

The question isn’t “Why are we so divided?”

The question is: “Who benefits from us THINKING we’re divided?”

What Would These Numbers Look Like If People Knew The Truth?

Based on how support increases with accurate information:

| Issue | Current Support | Estimated w/ Full Truth |

|—|—|—|

| Medicare for All | 59% | 75-80% |

| Universal Background Checks | 90% | 90% (already maxed) |

| Climate Action | 73% | 80-85% |

| Raising Min Wage | 76% | 80-85% |

| Money Out of Politics | 77% | 85-90% |

| Paid Family Leave | 82% | 85-90% |

| SCOTUS Term Limits | 75% | 80-85% |

| Legalize Marijuana | 70% | 75-80% |

We’re not talking about radical change here. We’re talking about implementing policies that overwhelming majorities already support — once they cut through the bullshit.

The American consensus is real. It’s been here all along.

We just keep letting wedge issues distract us from it.

What I Learned From Fact-Checking That Infographic:

The division narrative is a lie. We’re not split 50/50 on everything. We have broad consensus on the policies that actually matter — healthcare, wages, climate, democracy, gun safety.

The only question left is: Why aren’t we implementing what we all agree on?

Sources: Gallup, Pew Research Center, YouGov, Navigator Research, PRRI, AP-NORC, University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation, Kaiser Family Foundation, Data for Progress, Common Ground Solutions. Full methodology and citations available upon request.