Frenemies

If you are a Democrat or Republican, how many friends do you have in the other party?

1. How accurate was your prediction?

2. Is this good news?

3. What story does this data tell?

4. Why do you think that is?

5. What is one consequence of this?

6. How different do you think these numbers would have looked 20 years ago?

7. How different do you think these numbers will look in 20 years?

8. Do you know anyone who has a wide range of friends from both parties?

9. Do you think that the Donald Trump presidency will reinforce the data from the chart?

10. What sorts of people are friends with independents????

11. Based on the charts below* how favorable to Americans feel towards members of the opposite party?

12. Explain whether political issues or individual politicians most divide the parties.

13. List the one issue that you believe most divides Republicans and Democrats.

14. List the one issue that you believe most unites Republicans and Democrats

Learning Extension

Read this swag Pew Article on partisanship.

Action Extension

Survey 10 people you know and find out how their partisan friendships compare to the data in the chart. Share and explain your data in class or online. For extra credit, make a friend with different political beliefs from you.