How Liberal Patriots Can Unite To Make A Difference

Last Updated on October 23, 2024

In this post, learn about the importance of voting for our liberal democracy, and how you can tap into a group called the Exhausted Majority and encourage them to get to the polls.

For liberals, democracy is sacred. A liberal patriot is a person who holds progressive views but also loves their country dearly. We liberal patriots need to get off the sidelines and do our part to make a difference in our country’s leadership.

If you love your country, decide what you will do to make a difference. Be on the right side of history.

Focus on the Cause Closest To Your Heart, but Don’t Forget To Mobilize for the Election

Focus your passion on the cause closest to your heart. Doing this means you are motivated and engaged for the long term. Otherwise, you may be scattered and uninformed about the multiple causes you support. Still spend most of your time on your cause.

The 2016 election taught us how important voting is to our country. It is up to every one of us to make sure people vote. So, consider short-term tasks to support getting out the vote. For example, you can attend a rally, write a letter to an elected official, and talk with a friend about voting blue. Because leadership is important. Our liberal democracy depends on it.

[Are you ready to mobilize?]

Mobilize To Encourage The Exhausted Majority to Vote

You may argue that people who consider themselves liberal patriots will definitely vote, but that may not be true. An interesting research study uncovered that in between the extremes live a series of groups they coined the ‘Exhausted Majority.‘

The researchers focused on uncovering the beliefs that groups share and those that divide us. In their words,

“to understand better what is pulling us apart, and find what can bring us back together.”

The ‘Exhausted Majority’ is tired of polarization. They believe that people have more in common than what the voices we hear in the media might tell us. So, they are the people you can mobilize to vote for our liberal democracy.

Help the Exhausted Majority

Here are the seven groups identified by the study. 

• Progressive Activists (8 percent of the population) are deeply concerned with issues concerning equity, fairness, and America’s direction today. They tend to be more secular, cosmopolitan, and highly engaged with social media.
• Traditional Liberals (11 percent of the population) tend to be cautious, rational, and idealistic. They value tolerance and compromise. They place great faith in institutions.
• Passive Liberals (15 percent of the population) tend to feel isolated from their communities. They are insecure in their beliefs and try to avoid political conversations. They have a fatalistic view of politics and feel that the circumstances of their lives are beyond their control.
• The Politically Disengaged (26 percent of the population) are untrusting, suspicious about external threats, conspiratorially minded, and pessimistic about progress. They tend to be patriotic yet detached from politics.
• Moderates (15 percent of the population) are engaged in their communities, well-informed, and civic-minded. Their faith is often an important part of their lives. They shy away from extremism of any sort.
• Traditional Conservatives (19 percent of the population) tend to be religious, patriotic, and highly moralistic. They believe deeply in personal responsibility and self-reliance.
• Devoted Conservatives (6 percent of the population) are deeply engaged with politics and hold strident, uncompromising views. They feel that America is embattled, and they perceive themselves as the last defenders of traditional values that are under threat.

Are you curious about which group you are in? Try the Hidden Tribes quiz.

Another option for testing your political biases is Clearer Thinking’s The Political Bias Test.  They provide a customized report on how your political beliefs influence your knowledge.

Liberal Democracy Means Finding Common Ground

The voices of the wings seem to be the loudest. That gives us the perception that our country can never come together. But the Exhausted Majority believes there is common ground. They are tired of only hearing from the wings.

So, where do we agree? According to the Hidden Tribes survey, 80% of Americans agree that racism is a real problem. And a majority of us believe Dreamers should have a way to become citizens.

“The vast majority of Americans―three out of four―believe our differences are not so great that we cannot come together. Let’s make that a reality.”

The Perception Gap

I found it interesting that we are often wrong in our perceptions of those in the opposing party. This “Perception Gap” colors our thinking of the possibility of compromise. For example, we believe that most people in the other party have extreme views, but this is not the cause.

“Even on the most controversial issues in our national debates, Americans are less divided than most of us think. This is good news for those worried about the character of this country. The majority of Americans hold views that may not be so different from your own.”

Take the quiz to see if you suffer from the Perception Gap.

Your Part in Our Liberal Democracy

We need you to make a difference in our country. So, answer that call. The Exhausted Majority” makes up about 2/3 of Americans. Because they are not polarized, we can convince them to vote blue.

The cause closest to your heart may be political activism. But if your passion is elsewhere, mobilize for the upcoming election.

Talk to people about voting. Make sure we hear all voices. Help eliminate barriers to free elections. In addition to your cause, it is time to mobilize to support this one.

Get off the sidelines and do your part.

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Call to Action

Imagine your grandchild asking you, “What did you do when kids were separated from their parents and put in cages?” Or when they ask what you did about other atrocities. What will you answer?

We liberal patriots must unite to make a difference.

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Vox article with an analysis of Hidden Tribes study