{"id":277941,"date":"2025-10-30T13:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T17:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=277941"},"modified":"2025-10-30T16:48:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T20:48:49","slug":"what-americans-want-and-expect-from-party-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2025\/10\/30\/what-americans-want-and-expect-from-party-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"3. What Americans want and expect from party leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wide majorities of Americans say it is important that both Republican and Democratic elected officials are knowledgeable and admit when they are wrong. Smaller majorities say it is very important that elected officials in both parties be willing to make compromises with the other party and treat their counterparts with respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chart<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And while most Republicans and Democrats say that their party should be at least somewhat accepting of elected officials who agree with the other party on some important issues, at least a quarter of those in both parties say their party should not be so accepting. The survey was conducted Sept. 22-28, before the now-monthlong- government shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans and Democrats are also both somewhat split over whether their party should be accepting of elected officials who call the other party evil: Among U.S. adults, 43% of Republicans and 44% of Democrats say this is at least somewhat acceptable for members of their own party to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, overwhelming majorities in both parties say their party should not be accepting of figures who support groups that advocate violence against their political opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compromise and respect<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Both Republicans and Democrats are more likely to say that it is very important that the other<\/em> party\u2019s elected officials be willing to compromise to solve important problems than it is for their own<\/em> elected officials to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Democrats are more likely to call compromise very important for both the other party and their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other party<\/h5>\n\n\n\n