Two Stories of Distrust in America

This report presents the findings of multiple largescale national surveys of Americans about the state of trust in America. It finds significant evidence for deep and widespread levels of distrust across society. Among national institutions—government, media, and business— More in Common tested in December 2020, none earned the trust of a majority of Americans. Levels of interpersonal trust were similarly concerning, with a majority of Americans saying you "can't be too careful in dealing with other people" and one in three Americans saying there is no community outside of friends and family where they feel a strong sense of belonging.These topline findings paint a stark picture. If we probe deeper, however, we discern important distinctions in the probable drivers of distrust. Understanding these nuances does not make the overall picture brighter, but it can illuminate potential solutions and pathways to renew trust. Two distinctive "stories" of distrust are evident in the data—an ideological 'us versus them' distrust and a 'social distrust' that tracks interactions and feelings of belonging, dignity, and equality. These two stories are not fully comprehensive of the myriad drivers of distrust in America, but they capture distinctive ways distrust relates to ideology and experience. It is a challenging moment to generate broader consensus that building trust should be a national priority. This report focuses on how drivers of distrust vary among Americans as these distinctions may provide new opportunities for such efforts

The Threads of Texas: A story of enduring identity in a changing state

The Threads of Texas is a research project launched by More in Common to understand change in Texas: the divergent views toward change that are pulling Texans apart, and the shared identity and dreams for the future that can bring Texans together.Texas is continuously in a state of change — economically, politically, demographically. As Texas grapples with major changes, how do Texans across age, race, and political parties hold onto what they perceive as "truly Texan?" How does Texas replicate its DNA to maintain its sense of identity as new people, new ideas, and new industries make their homes in the state? These questions have become more urgent as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 winter storm challenge the Texas social and economic landscape.These are the questions that inspired More in Common to launch a landmark study of the state of Texas. In 2020 and 2021, we heard from over 4000 Texans from across the state, including experts in Texan culture and leaders of Texas industries. We capture the striking and ultimately hopeful attitudes of Texans: We find that although Texans on far ends of the ideological spectrum feel exhausted by political divisions, most Texans say that the ties that bind us are stronger than what divides us. They believe in a changing Texas where everyone feels they belong

Defusing the History Wars: Finding Common Ground in Teaching Americas National Story

Our recent survey found that people have more in common than they think when it comes to their opinions on U.S. history. However, they incorrectly think members of the opposing party have views much different than they do - this is called a perception gap and it creates imagined enemies of their fellow Americans

Assessment of acute myocardial infarction: current status and recommendations from the North American society for cardiovascular imaging and the European society of cardiac radiology

There are a number of imaging tests that are used in the setting of acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome. Each has their strengths and limitations. Experts from the European Society of Cardiac Radiology and the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging together with other prominent imagers reviewed the literature. It is clear that there is a definite role for imaging in these patients. While comparative accuracy, convenience and cost have largely guided test decisions in the past, the introduction of newer tests is being held to a higher standard which compares patient outcomes. Multicenter randomized comparative effectiveness trials with outcome measures are required

Civility in digital discourse : an experimental approach to the contagion of thoughtful and hurtful responses

Civility is a concept still not well understood or systematically defined by scholars of communication and political science. As such, many in the public sphere have echoed that certain linguistic behaviors characterized by civility and incivility set the tone and can affect downstream or peripheral conversation. This study measures if civility or incivility is contagious, especially as it relates to political disagreement on social media. In an experimental study (n=585), mTurk participants were randomly presented with short vignettes similar in length and framework to a social media post. These posts conveyed opinions in direct opposition to participants’ views on gun control and either contained language classified as informational (Control), civil (Treatment 1), or uncivil (Treatment 2). After reviewing a vignette, participants were then asked about their willingness to respond to the vignette as if the words were directly spoken to them on social media. Participants then were asked their if response to the vignette would be characterized by civility. The findings are mixed, but indicate that when a respondent received an uncivil social media message, they were less likely to respond civilly. In addition, when a respondent received a civil message, they were more likely to respond civilly. In this way, some preliminary evidence exists for the contagion of civility and incivility in social media.Governmen

Dependence of phase morphology and mechanical properties of PS/SBR/PE ternary blends on composition: transition from core-shell to triple-phase continuity structures

The weight ratio of PE and PS in ternary PS/SBR/PE blends has been changed at constant SBR content (25 wt%). When the matrix is either PE or PS, the dispersed phase has a core-shell structure with SBR forming the shell. The size of the core expectedly increases with the content of the core-forming polymer. In some composition range, the three phases are simultaneously continuous, SBR being localized in between the co-continuous PE and PS phases. The ultimate mechanical properties of the ternary blends containing SBR/PE and SBR/PS core-shell dispersed phases are close to the properties of the PS/SBR and PE/SBR binary blends, respectively. Some synergism in the elongation at break of the ternary blends is observed when core-shell SBR/PS phases are dispersed in PE matrix

Defusing the History Wars: Finding Common Ground in Teaching America’s National Story

This report shows that Republicans and Democrats share common ground about how to teach our national story but hold inaccurate ideas about what the other side believes about teaching U.S. history. These ‘perception gaps’ fuel distrust and are exacerbated by ‘conflict entrepreneurs’ — political and media actors who benefit from and actively stoke polarization. This report also suggests ways leaders and institutions can disrupt these cycles of misunderstanding to engage in constructive dialogue, reducing polarization