Axios Finish Line: A consensus Bill of Rights
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Watch the White House, Congress and most political campaigns, and it seems clear we're too polarized and too tribal to find common cause.
- Well, that's a lie.
Why it matters: In an earlier column, we showed how algorithms and screens hide a more normal and agreeable American public. This actually extends to many hot political debates: Most people agree on most big topics most of the time. The results are striking — and should give you hope. See if this aligns with your experience.
- This notional Bill of Rights synthesizes majority views from polling of U.S. adults:
1. Government should have no say in what we say, how we pray, how we protest and whom we love, provided we act legally.
- 79% of Americans say the government has gone too far in restricting the right to free speech. Strikingly, this view is held by 88% of Democrats and 86% of independents, showing it's not just a right-wing grievance. (NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll, October)
- A landmark poll of 20,338 adults by the Kettering Foundation/Gallup Democracy for All Project, published in November, found 84% believe America's racial, religious and cultural diversity is a strength.
2. Government should keep the border tight, and settle the status of those who've been here for years.
- A record-high 79% of U.S. adults consider immigration good for the country. (Gallup, June)
- Two-thirds of registered voters say local officials should cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. (Harvard CAPS/Harris, January)
- But support for legal immigration hit an all-time high in the 23 years the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has asked the question (49%). And two-thirds of U.S. adults in the poll, out in October, support a path to citizenship for undocumented workers currently contributing to the economy.
3. Government should do its basic job of protecting the nation ... and then do less.
- Just 17% of Americans now say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right "just about always" (2%) or "most of the time" (15%), Pew Research Center said in December.
- Flash back seven decades: In 1958, when the National Election Study first asked the question, 73% of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing — 56 points higher than now.
4. Government should stop spending money we don't have, on things we cannot afford.
- 90% of registered voters are concerned that the national debt's effect on inflation is increasing the cost of living, according to a poll out two weeks ago from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing awareness of fiscal threats.
5. Government should stop pretending our education system isn't a national embarrassment.
- U.S. public satisfaction with K-12 education hit a record low last year in the 26 years Gallup has been polling on the question.
6. Government should allow guns but impose sensible restrictions.
- 72% of Americans support requiring a person to obtain a license from a local law enforcement agency before buying a gun, according to polling last year by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. One-third of respondents were gun owners.
7. Government should start caring about American workers as much as it cares about the rich and powerful.
- 37% of Americans say "big business" is a bigger threat to the country's future than labor or government, tying the high in Gallup's trend.
- 80% of Americans see wealth inequality as a big problem. (Economist/YouGov Poll, January)
8. Government should stop micromanaging business.
- 51% of small businesses say navigating federal regulations is hurting their growth, with 69% reporting they pay more per employee to comply than their large competitors, the MetLife/U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index found.
- Gallup found last year that 62% of Americans say the federal government has too much power. 51% think government "is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses."
9. Government should take its duty seriously to remind citizens that they live in a great nation.
- While trust in D.C. crumbles, 59% of Americans trust their state government and 65% trust their local government. (Gallup, November)
10. Government should prohibit elected officials from profiting from their power.
- The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll surveyed 11 policies President Trump discussed in last month's State of the Union address. The most popular was a stock-trading limitation for members of Congress, with 72% support.
Bonus Amendment 11: Government should smartly regulate AI and quickly prep the American workforce.
- A Vanderbilt Unity Poll released last week found 61% of Republicans and 56% of Democrats nationwide favor regulating AI, with agreement across all age ranges.
- Across parties, majorities say the government should regulate AI to ensure economic stability (61%) and public safety (68%), a Reuters/Ipsos poll found last year.
📬 Let us know what you think: [email protected].
- 📱 Watch a YouTube with Jim and Mike about our consensus Bill of Rights.
