The Surprising Issue That Unites American Voters

Even as the philosophical gap between Republicans and Democrats widens, the common bond that unites them is their dissatisfaction with the federal government. Reuters puts Biden’s approval rating at 36%. A recent Gallup poll found the congressional approval rating at an abysmal 13%, the lowest in recent history. 

And if experience is any guide, this disenchantment with the ruling class in Washington will persist–or at least quickly return–regardless of who wins in November.

None of that even surprises anyone anymore. But here’s a fact that is surprising: members of both parties, along with Independents, all agree that it’s time for the states to step in to impose some limits on the federal government. 

In a brand new poll of Ohio voters, for instance, 82% of Republicans, 69% of Democrats, and 77% of Independents all said they support the Convention of States initiative. It’s an effort to convene a meeting of the states to propose constitutional amendments that would pump the brakes on the federal government. 

In particular, voters say they want the states to meet in an Article V convention to consider amendment proposals that do three things: impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and set term limits for federal officials–which could include bureaucrats and judges as well as members of Congress.

What’s even more impressive is that people of every political stripe feel so strongly about the need to restrain Washington that they say they will cross party lines to vote for candidates who support this effort to leverage the states’ power against the federal behemoth. In the swing state of Pennsylvania, for instance, 69% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats say they will cross party lines on this issue.

Additionally, support for COS holds strong across all demographic groups, including age (81% of 18-44 year-olds, 80% of 45-54, 73% of 55-64, 74% of 65-74, and 70% of 75 and older are in favor) and ethnicity (71% of African Americans, 96% of Hispanics, 77% of Whites, and 69% of respondents from other ethnicities support the project).

Polling results like those provide candidates for the state legislatures a winning campaign issue. But they should also give disillusioned Americans some badly-needed grounds for hope. They show that despite our wildly diverse worldviews, most of us still agree on some of America’s core values–like limited government, the rule of law, the need for fiscal responsibility, and the importance of being able to hold our officials accountable.  

It’s also refreshing to learn that most Americans are still people of courage and action; they want the states to use their power under Article V of the Constitution to meet in convention and propose amendments that will resolve the dysfunction. While there are some naysayers out there, to be sure, most Americans are not cowards who would settle for the disastrous status quo just because this mode of proposing constitutional amendments has never been used before.

In fact, the states’ neglect of the convention process up until now has undoubtedly enabled the federal government to continue to amass power, unchecked. The states lost one major “check” on Congress when they lost the power to choose their Senators. And up until now, they have abdicated their other major “check” on Congress: their Article V power to propose constitutional amendments.

It is good news for the nation that the people are ready for action.

Yes, we face an astronomical national debt that shows no signs of slowing. Yes, Congress and its minions continue to assert increasing authority over every aspect of our lives. Yes, many of those who do the work of government are “lifers” who have lost touch with ordinary folks like us. And yet, Article V of our Constitution contains a process the states can use to disrupt the status quo and impose real reforms–and the American people are clamoring for them to use it. Nineteen of the thirty-four states needed have already joined the effort.

Since the earliest days of our fledgling Republic, Americans who don’t agree on much of anything have banded together to defend themselves against existential threats. Today, our biggest threat comes from a federal government that is overstepping its boundaries. But we, the people, have the power to set things straight, and we’re refreshingly united in our resolve to use it.

Complete poll results can be viewed in the following links: Click here and here to download the topline and crosstab numbers respectively. 


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