Honesty Tops Individual Values In Study By FixUS

Focus groups empaneled by FixUS have taken their crack at what values unite and divide us.

FixUS, an impressive offshoot of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget headquartered in Washington, D.C., “is committed to engaging fellow citizens to better understand and address our nation’s growing divisions, dysfunction, and distrust in our political system.”

The initiative fielded a nationwide poll last year followed by 13 focus groups held on Zoom concluding early this year.

The poll found strong agreement on values such as being honest (90%), hard-working (83%) and independent (80%).

The subsequent focus groups worried that problems of honesty, and the broader issues of truth and trustfulness, hinged on the media environment. “People want straightforward facts, but some found this was hard to find when there’s a lack of trusted information sources. In turn, people don’t agree on basic facts and therefore cannot be seen as honest,” the study reported.

Participants also pondered questions ranging from community safety to the meaning of patriotism to what “moonshot”-type undertaking could bring the country together. Learn more about the just-released study at United Locally | FixUS (fixusnow.org)