Love aligns? Most couples share political beliefs, but few bridge partisan divide

The U.S. elections have polarized both political parties, causing many people to end connections with family and friends. But what about romantic relationships?

In a new University of Michigan study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers sought to answer that question. They analyzed data from more than 4,000 people to see how common it is for partners to differ politically, what factors might lead to such differences, and how these differences affect relationships.

Nearly 1 in 4 couples—or 23%—had different political party affiliations, and less than 8% were made up of one Democrat and one Republican. This means that most couples in the study shared similar political beliefs, whether it was their party preference or overall political ideology, said the study’s lead author Amie Gordon, U-M assistant professor of psychology.

Interestingly, factors like education, income, personality and how long people had been in their relationship did not strongly predict whether a couple would have different political views.

Couples who did have differing political views had slightly lower relationship quality. This effect was noticeable in everyday interactions as well as overall relationship satisfaction, Gordon said.

The study’s results, however, also suggested that positive behaviors like appreciating each other and trying to see things from the partner’s perspective might help to lessen the negative effects of political differences.

“Overall, the research highlights the importance of considering how the current political climate might be influencing personal relationships and underscores the potential benefits of empathy and understanding between partners with differing political views,” said Gordon, who is also a faculty associate at the Institute for Social Research.

Gordon, who co-authored the study with graduate students Annika From of U-M and Maria Luciani of the University of California, Berkeley, noted other things matter more for relationship quality, such as perceptions of overall similarity and shared values than whether someone is politically different from a partner or not.

For couples divided by their choice of candidates, it’s not yet known if their relationship will improve after the elections, but Gordon’s research shows that political stress in daily life exacerbates the effects of political differences on relationship quality.

Scholars have not yet arrived at a consensus on the consequences of political animosity and the future of democracy, but Gordon said it seems clear that this polarization is associated with how we feel toward other people.

“Whether that is not wanting to date someone from the other side or politics causing tension once in a romantic relationship, the findings suggest that politics may be playing a role in romantic relationships, at least a little bit,” she said.

And this appears to be true even for people who care less about politics, “suggesting that the loud and persistent voices of the politically engaged minority may have the potential to impact the relationships of many,” Gordon said.