Four Reasons You Should Distinguish Politicians from Their Voters

No matter who wins in the upcoming election, many Americans will feel angry, fearful, and frustrated. This will likely fuel further political toxicity, which can spill over into our personal and professional relationships.

One reason politics grows more toxic is that we often take our negative emotions about disliked politicians and direct those emotions toward their voters. But if we want to build a healthier political future, we should see an important truth: political leaders are not their supporters.

By separating our feelings about politicians from our feelings about their voters, we can create more constructive political discussions — and strengthen personal relationships along the way.

Here are five reasons this distinction matters:

1. Political groups are complex

When we think about people on the “other side” of politics, it’s easy to assume they all think and act the same. This tendency, the outgroup homogeneity effect, leads us to judge an entire group by those we see as its worst members. 

Consider how many Americans hold deeply negative views of figures like Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. (To be clear, we’re talking about perceptions here, not whether those views are justified.) While it’s understandable that our views of leaders influence how we see their voters, it’s important to remember that voters have diverse motivations.

People vote for one candidate or the other for many reasons: they may agree with certain policies, have personal experiences that guide their choices, or simply want to oppose the other side. Just as your feelings about your political group may be complicated, so are others’ feelings about theirs.

2. Our views of each other are distorted

Research shows that we often misunderstand the beliefs and motivations of our fellow citizens. For example, surveys reveal that both Democrats and Republicans tend to overestimate how extreme the other side’s views are. Even when we know someone’s position on an issue, we often assume the worst about why they hold that belief.

These misjudgments fuel fear, anger, and mistrust. Recognizing that our perceptions of others are often skewed can help us develop more thoughtful and accurate views about them.

3. Many vote to oppose the “other side”

These days, many people vote not because they strongly support a candidate, but because they fear or dislike the other party. Hostility and fear play powerful roles in shaping our politics. Even among enthusiastic supporters of a specific leader, many may be drawn to them mainly because they fight hard against the opposition.

Recognizing this can help us view fellow citizens with more understanding. Instead of assuming every voter is fully onboard with everything on “their side,” we can acknowledge that their vote might reflect more about what they want to prevent than what they hope to achieve.

4. A vote doesn’t mean agreeing with every policy

Voters often base their choices on just a few key issues — sometimes even a single one. For example, some people vote mainly with economic concerns in mind, while others focus on topics like abortion, gun rights, or healthcare. Because of this, it’s possible to support a candidate while disagreeing with many of their positions.

In a polarized environment like ours, many voters feel they’re choosing the least-bad option rather than a perfect fit. Understanding this can help us avoid making sweeping assumptions about others based on their vote.

It’s easy to disagree

Toxic conflict grows when we stop being curious about the reasoning behind the actions of the people around us. Conflict thrives when we reduce “them” to simple stereotypes, like thinking, “They’re all the same.”

By separating our opinions of political leaders from those who support them, we can ease our anger toward others — even while standing firmly for our beliefs. This shift in perspective may seem small in a divided country, but it’s a meaningful step toward building a healthier political culture.

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