What portion of Americans think Americans are morally good?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above what country has the highest percentage of its people who rate other people of their country as morally and ethically good?
How does the United States compare to other countries in the percent of their people who see their fellow citizens as being morally and ethically bad?
Why do you think that is?
Rate the morality and ethics of your fellow citizens and explain how you came to that conclusion?
Imagine you lived in a country like Canada that believes its fellow citizens are moral and ethical. Explain how you imagine daily life would be different in Canada from the United States.
Political polarization is the divergence of political attitudes away from the center toward ideological extremes, resulting in a society divided into two distinct, often hostile, camps. It involves both ideological differences (policy views) and affective polarization (intense dislike/distrust of the opposing party). This phenomenon fosters legislative gridlock, undermines democratic trust, and often causes people to view opponents as existential threats. How do you think the data from the visual above relates to political polarization?
Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party are much more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to rate fellow Americans as morally and ethically bad (60% vs. 46%). And previous research has shown that rising numbers of both Republicans and Democrats say people in the other party are immoral. Why do you think people don’t trust people of the opposite party?
Political culture is the set of shared beliefs, values, and norms that define how a society views its government and its role in the political process. Unlike specific opinions on a single candidate or law, political culture is the underlying "vibe" or psychological framework of a nation. What is the general American political culture and why does it lead Americans to distrust each other?
A media echo chamber is an environment where an individual's beliefs, views, and assumptions are constantly reinforced through repeated exposure to similar ideas, while opposing or differing viewpoints are systematically excluded or discredited. This phenomenon creates a closed system where information is circulated without encountering rebuttal, often leading to increased social and political polarization. How do you think the media echo chamber impacts the data from the visual above?
According to the visual below* in all the 25 countries included in the data, what is the most morally unacceptable behavior?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Read the whole Pew survey then vote on the morality and ethics of your fellow-citizens in the poll below.
Get Creative
Think about what could make Americans increase their view on the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens. Share your thoughts with your classmates.
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