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Cost of Living Concerns Unite Voters Across Political Divide
Democrats and Independent Voters Find Common Ground in 2025
The Independent Center's January 2025 State of the Union survey reveals unexpected alignment between Democrats and independents on key issues, suggesting potential pathways for bipartisan cooperation despite deep political divisions.
The comprehensive survey of 1,500 adults, conducted January 14-17, 2025, examines attitudes across party lines, showing a striking pattern of agreement on fundamental issues between Democrats and independents, particularly regarding economic priorities and governance.
Strong Support for Bipartisan Action
The survey uncovers a striking openness to cross-party cooperation. When asked, "Would you like to see Donald Trump succeed or fail at working across the aisle to enact bipartisan policies as President?" (OO5), 46 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of independents wanted to see success, with 22 percent of Democrats and 30 percent of independents unsure, and 32 percent of Democrats and 12 percent of independents preferring failure.
This desire for cooperation extends to Congress as well. When asked, "Would you like to see Republicans in Congress succeed or fail at working across the aisle to pass bipartisan policies?" (OO6), 47 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents supported success. In comparison, 24 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of independents were unsure, and 29 percent of Democrats and 10 percent of independents preferred failure.
Economic Issues Unite Voters
Economic concerns emerge as a powerful unifying force. When asked about priorities for the new administration (NA1), both Democrats (81 percent) and independents (78 percent) ranked "Lowering prices/inflation" as "Very/Somewhat important," with only 3 percent of both groups considering it, "Not at all / Somewhat unimportant."
The unity extends to specific measures of success. When asked what constitutes a 'successful' year on lowering prices/inflation (NA2B), 58 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents agreed that "Significantly reducing the cost of things like my gas and groceries" was the benchmark, while 25 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of independents would accept "Somewhat reducing the cost."
Voters Seek Bipartisan Representatives
Asked, "Which of the following do you think would be the best candidate to represent you and your neighbors in Congress?" (PP1), 48 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents chose "A candidate who works and votes with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress." By comparison, only 42% of Democrats preferred a Democrat-aligned candidate, and just 14 percent of independents preferred a Republican-aligned candidate.
Responses regarding representation in Washington further support this strong preference for collaborative leadership. When asked if a moderate independent representative would help amplify their voice (PP5), both Democrats and independents expressed significant interest in this alternative to traditional party representation.
Political Identity and Moderate Views
The survey reveals fascinating insights about political self-identification. On the political scale question (GS5), 20 percent of Democrats identified as "Progressive Liberal / Strong Democrat" (0 on the scale) and another 20 percent as "Moderate Centrist / Independent" (5 on the scale), with the remaining 60 percent distributed across positions 1-4 on the scale.
Among Independents, 53 percent identified as moderate centrist (position 5), with only 3 percent identifying as either extreme (0 or 10 on the scale). This distribution suggests a strong, moderate presence that could be a foundation for bipartisan cooperation.
Shared Concerns About Representation
Both groups express significant concerns about current representation. When asked, "Do you believe that your voice and opinions are being heard in Washington, DC by your elected representatives?" (PP4), the majority of both groups indicated that their voices were not adequately heard.
This shared frustration helps explain why both Democrats and independents show strong interest in representatives who can work across party lines and demonstrate genuine responsiveness to constituent concerns.
The Path Forward
The survey data paints a picture of an electorate more united than divided on key issues, with particular alignment on economic concerns and governance preferences. The strong consensus between Democrats and independents on both priorities and preferred approaches suggests significant potential for bipartisan cooperation.
These findings indicate that politicians who can move beyond partisan rhetoric to address shared concerns - particularly economic issues - while demonstrating a genuine commitment to bipartisan problem-solving may find receptive audiences across party lines. The survey carries a margin of error of ±2.53 percentage points for the total sample and ±4.38 percentage points for party-specific results.
Get the full toplines for the Independent Center’s January State of the Union poll and join the movement to receive the latest news and support us.
