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Most Voters Prefer Cooperative Representatives
When asked "Which of the following do you think would be the best candidate to represent you and your neighbors in Congress?" (PP1), 46% of adults chose "a candidate who works and votes with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress." Direct partisan alignment received less support, with 19% preferring "a candidate who works and votes with the Democrats in Congress" and 24% preferring "a candidate who works and votes with the Republicans in Congress." The remaining 11% were unsure.
Among registered Republicans, over 1-in-3 (35%) indicated support for bipartisan cooperation, with nearly half of registered Democrats (48%), and 56% of Independents preferring a candidate that works and votes in a bipartisan manner
Strong Support for Cross-Party Cooperation
The survey asked "Would you like to see Donald Trump succeed or fail at working across the aisle to enact bipartisan policies as President?" (OO5). A clear majority of 62% wanted to see success, including:
- 58% of self-identiified Independents
- 46% of self-identified Democrats
- 83% of self-identified Republicans
A similar question, "Would you like to see Republicans in Congress succeed or fail at working across the aisle to pass bipartisan policies?" (OO6), showed comparable results with 62% supporting success, including 59% of Independents and 47% of Democrats, and 80% of Republicans.
Administration Approach Preferences
When asked "Which of the following comes closest to your own opinion about the new Trump administration?" (OO1), respondents chose:
- 49% - "Personality or policies aside, I hope Trump finds a way to work across the aisle and pass bipartisan measures for our country"
- 26% - "Trump and his policies are garbage, I hope he fails, regardless of what it means for the country"
- 26% - "MAGA all the way! Trump and Republicans won the majority and now get to enact their policies for our country"
Among Independent voters, 64% selected the bipartisan option.
Distinction Between Policy Types
The survey reveals a notable contrast between partisan and bipartisan approaches. When asked "Would you like to see Donald Trump succeed or fail at enacting MAGA/Republican policies as President?" (OO3), 31% wanted failure.
However, when asked about Trump working across the aisle to enact bipartisan policies, that ‘failure’ rate dropped a staggering 15-points, with 62% of adults preferring to see Trump ‘succeed’ in working across the aisle.
Unexpected Unity on National Debt
Perhaps the most surprising finding came from the "New Admin" section (NA1 A-D) about policy priorities. When asked how important it is for the new Trump administration to be successful in "reducing debt/deficit," the support was remarkably consistent across party lines:
- 66% of Democrats rated it "very/somewhat important"
- 67% of Independents rated it "very/somewhat important"
- 81% of Republicans rated it "very/somewhat important"
This consensus extended to voter expectations. When asked what would constitute a "successful year" on reducing debt/deficit (NA2A), voters across parties favored concrete action:
- 45% said success means "reducing the debt/deficit
- 35% would accept "somewhat reducing the national debt and deficit"
- 20% said he would need to “not increase the debt and deficit”
This alignment on fiscal issues represents a significant departure from conventional wisdom that typically associates debt concerns primarily with Republican voters. With three-quarters or more of voters from all parties rating debt reduction as "what is claimed as successful," this could represent a rare opportunity for meaningful bipartisan cooperation that has been largely overlooked in current political discourse.
Summary
The data indicates that voters tend to favor political cooperation over strict party alignment. With nearly half of respondents preferring representatives who work across party lines and strong majorities supporting bipartisan success, the survey suggests an appetite for cooperative political approaches.
These findings may have implications for both the administration and Congress as they consider their legislative approaches in 2025, particularly in addressing fiscal concerns that appear to unite voters across the political spectrum.
