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During his recent public spat with Donald Trump, Elon Musk asking if a new political party would better represent the 80% of voters in the middle. Hundreds of thousands of people responded and ."

. This is because that Republicans and Democrats have nothing in common, and therefore no issue will win support from both centrist Republicans and Democrats.

Polarization is problematic as it is linked to ""—the use of underhand tactics in political processes. Worst of all, .

Many think that polarization is created on social media platforms. These only expose people to beliefs similar to their own.

However, I study how narratives , and . My work has two aims: first, to identify political issues that are likely to cross party lines, and a wider goal of exploring the role of social media in mitigating, rather than exacerbating, levels of polarization.

Earlier this year, for example, I sorted through 12,000 posts from Republican and Democrat voters on subreddits (online forums discussing specific topics). Using a technique I developed in my , I analyzed attitudes to contested political issues around the time of Trump's inauguration. , I am finding that there are things both sides often agree on, and that not every issue splits neatly across party lines.

Although it's a complex topic, people from both parties are worried about . According to my work and , some Democrats accuse TikTok of (a reference to Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson).

Meanwhile, some Republicans are saying they are flooded with what they see as . Despite their differences, Republicans and Democrats agree that .

Both sides worry about the rise of authoritarianism and the growing negative influence of . among some members of the two parties that the real enemies aren't each other, but .

People on both sides of the political divide can be distrustful of and big businesses, regardless of who's in charge. Divisions of could be alternatives to seeing divisions as "left v right."

Some people are worried about the creation of a massive database of citizens' details, and . Recently Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene said she would have opposed Trump's "big, beautiful, bill," . The clause stops states from passing laws to for the next ten years.

What do people agree on?

On the topic of protecting democracy, there are some suggestions that many , and under threat. In my study, some Republican and Democrat voters object to the possibility of , aligning with the findings of several on the subject, and .

Both Republicans and Democrats want "the best" leaders who could get things done fast and . But it would appear that people on both sides are concerned about the that Doge (the Department for Government Efficiency, the new agency tasked with cutting federal spending) is working.

Also, deciding who is the best leader isn't always about agreeing with specific policies. Instead, it's about . Even Republicans who don't back everything Trump is doing say that at least something, .

Many Republicans criticize the left, and former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in particular, but , as much as any one policy. They (and others) put her loss down to a on key issues (among other things). This probably resulted in and many Democrats are frustrated that the party still hasn't addressed this.

Research suggests that Democrat and Republican voters often agree that , but believe voices from the middle are not being heard. Some Republicans and Democrats also share a concern that both parties are , with 86% of Americans believing this.

Some Republican voters in the posts I am analyzing suggest that working together to get things done would be positive, . Other important factors rather than political party, or can bring people from both sides together.

So, Americans . Levels of polarization feel high but this could be skewed by the extreme views of a minority on both sides. And it isn't helped by some .

Lots of people get their news from social media platforms which reward and monetize engagement. , but they rarely tell the whole story. .

Like Musk's online poll, research is starting to suggest that there is still a in the US today who are open to compromise through clear messaging. These voters , especially if parties can in ways that appeal across the divide. With the , both sides might want to listen to them more.

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