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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 20-26 UCW 7 JOHN HOOD, Board Member, John Locke Foundation. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200 Pyschology helps explain the political divide by JOHN HOOD Because I spend much of my time encouraging constructive engagement across political differenc- es, through such programs as Duke University's North Carolina Leadership Forum, readers sometimes ask me if I think political differ- ences are more appearance than reality — that if we just tried hard enough, we could reach a broad public consensus on many seemingly contentious issues. at's not what I believe at all. I think political differences are very real, very deeply ingrained, and very difficult to bridge. Learning how to disagree with- out coming to blows or resorting to personal ridicule and attack is important precisely because the political divide is a semi-permanent feature of our cultural topography. We can't pretend it isn't there. We can't wish it away. And we shouldn't expect it to wither away as a result of inevitable social forces. Why not? Because the political divide isn't primarily an artifact of statistical claims or carefully reasoned political ideologies. It's about differences in how we see the world and our place in it. e Cato Institute's public opinion analyst, Emily Ekins, provided a fascinating example in her "Wel- fare, Work, and Wealth" poll. Conducted in partner- ship with YouGov, the survey asked a representative sample of 1,700 Americans a wide range of ques- tions about political, economic, and social issues. Most relevant here is the battery of questions about what psychologists call "locus of control." If you tend to believe that the major events in your life are largely the consequence of your own choices and efforts, you are considered to have an internal locus of control. On the other hand, if you tend to think what happens to you isn't greatly de- termined by your choices and efforts, you have an external locus of control. "While in reality both external forces and person- al choices play a role," Ekins observed, "the ques- tion is what individuals emphasize." eir answers appear to be related to political identification. While Americans as a whole lean towards internal locus of control to a remarkable degree — much more so than Europeans and Asians tend to do — American conservatives are more likely than American progressives to express the internal-control view. Consider this statement: "My life is determined by my own actions." While 52% of respondents identified as very conservative agreed with this statement, only 33% of very liberal respondents agreed. Here's another one: "When I get what I want, it's usually because I worked hard for it." Support was 53% among the very conservative and 30% among the very liberal. Perhaps even more to the point: "I feel like what happens in my life is mostly determined by pow- erful people." Fully 61% of the very conservative disagreed with this statement, while only 34% of the very liberal did. I've long cited another survey finding when I teach classes on navigating political differ- ences. At first glance, you may find this Pew Research Center question to have little bearing on politics: "Would you prefer to live in a community where 1) the houses are larger and farther apart but schools, stores, and restau- rants are several miles away; or 2) the houses are smaller and closer to each other but schools, stores, and restaurants are within walking distance." Americans as a whole lean toward the former over the latter, with 57% favoring spread-out communities and 43% wanting their community ameni- ties within walking distance. When you adjust for political views, however, a striking pattern emerges — 72% of Republicans and 77% of conservative Republicans say they prefer the lower-density, automobile-oriented lifestyle while 56% of Demo- crats and 65% of progressive Democrats say they prefer higher-density, walkable communities. ese are correlations only. We can't say for cer- tain what the causal factors are. What we can say is that our political differences extend far beyond our contrasting views on specific pieces of legislation or electoral candidates. Deeply held feelings and values are at play, including preferences for how we live, work, and play. ese differences aren't eas- ily modified. e best we can do is accommodate them. Editor's Note: John Hood is a John Locke Founda- tion board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history (FolkloreCycle.com). make your Radio sound funny. Mornings 6am to 10am on WFAY. Bud & Broadway OPINION