Illinois Statewide April

KEY FINDINGS

• The vast majority of voters (80%) say the current political environment is more antagonistic than it has ever been. This includes 94% of voters over the age of 65. 

• 53% of voters believe it is more important to support practical policies than caring policies that show compassion. But, there are clear partisan and gender breakdowns. 

• By a 2:1 margin, Biden supporters believe it is more important to support caring policies than practical policies (69%), compared to only 17% of Trump supporters.

• 58% of women, compared to 38% of men, believe it is more important to support caring policies. 

• 78% of voters say they rely on their own judgment when formulating opinions on public policy issues, compared to only 22% who follow what experts say. 

• 29% of Chicago voters follow what experts say, compared to 18% of rural voters. 

• 28% of female voters follow what experts say, compared to only 19% of men.

• Younger voters (31% of those 18-30) tend to follow what experts say, compared to only 17% of those over 65.

• 38% of Biden voters follow what experts say, compared to only 4% of Trump supporters. 

• Only 8% of voters believe it is “OK to exaggerate or dramatize risks or problems in order to get the public to support policies that experts say are good.”

• The one outlier is young voters (18-30), with 23% saying it is OK.

• By a 2:1 margin, Biden supporters believe we should support programs that show compassion (68%), even if they have minimal impact, compared to only 16% of Trump supporters.