Adults Feel Rivalries are Keeping Politicians from Addressing the Interests of Americans Like Them

The FINANCIAL — Hot tempers and heated words have always been part of the U.S. political scene.

The FINANCIAL — Hot tempers and heated words have always been part of the U.S. political scene. In fact, Aaron Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel in the early days of the United States. But how bad do Americans think it's gotten? While politicians may not be dueling, roughly nine in ten U.S. adults (89%) believe that political discussions today are angry and bad tempered, and roughly seven in ten (69%) believe that today's political climate is more angry and bad tempered than it was in the past, according to a new Harris Poll.

When given four possible responses, most Americans say that political discussion today is either "much too angry and bad tempered" (40%) or "somewhat angry and bad tempered" (48%). Democrats and Independents (43% each) are more likely than Republicans (35%) to say "much too angry." Matures (ages 68+; 48%) and Baby Boomers (ages 49-67; 45%) are more likely than Gen Xers (ages 37-48; 37%) and Echo Boomers (ages 18-36; 34%) to think that political discourse is "much too angry and bad tempered" today.

Seven in ten U.S. adults (69%) believe that the political climate today is more bad tempered than in the past, while only 5% think it's less angry and bad tempered today, according to Harris Interactive Inc.

The older Americans get (and therefore the longer their memories), the more likely they are to believe political discourse is more angry and bad tempered today (87% Matures, 76% Baby Boomers, 66% Gen Xers, 57% Echo Boomers).

Seven in ten Americans (71%) also believe that "how American politicians treat one another influences how American citizens treat one another," with 26% indicating "very much" believing this.

Liberals (79%) are more likely than Moderates (71%) to believe this, with Moderates in turn more likely than Conservatives (63%) to feel this is true, according to Harris Interactive Inc.

Strong majorities of U.S. adults believe that in public discourse it's inappropriate for politicians, political commentators or citizens to use language referring to war or fighting when discussing political differences (74%, with 40% specifying that it's not at all appropriate), referencing opponents as "enemies" (83% and 54%, respectively), or making reference or allusion to causing physical harm to opponents (90% and 72%, respectively).

Looking at recent partisan bickering in Washington, three in ten Americans (29%) say Republicans deserve the most blame, down a bit from 34% last October, in the wake of the government shutdown, while the percentage blaming Democrats most holds steady at 17%. But nearly half (47%, up from 42% in October) say both parties are equally deserving of blame, according to Harris Interactive Inc.

Democrats are most likely to lay the most blame on Republicans (56%), while Republicans (51%) and Independents (55%) are most likely to lay the lion's share of the blame on both parties equally. Women are more likely than men to blame both parties equally (50% women, 43% men), while men are more likely to blame, well, anyone – as they are more likely than women both to say that Republicans (32% men, 26% women) and Democrats (19% and 15%, respectively) deserve the most blame.

The rivalry between Democrats and Republicans (as well as the one between mainstream and "Tea Party" Republicans) has been widely credited in the media with grinding our government to a halt, with obstructionism trumping taking care of business. Americans appear to concur, with nine in ten (89%) agreeing – more than six in ten (62%) strongly so – that party rivalries are keeping politicians from addressing the interests of "Americans like me."

Looking individually at the Republicans and Democrats, majorities also agree – albeit more strongly when talking about Republicans – that each party is more interested in "beating" the other than they are in what's good for the country; 77% believe this is true of Republicans, while 64% say it holds true for Democrats, according to Harris Interactive Inc.