Trump And Opinions: Donald J. Trump’s Impact On An Individual’s Policy Preferences

The Trump administration’s unconventional style of governing has contributed to the increased polarization of the American electorate and highlighted stark divides in American political culture. Members of both parties have seemingly shifted their policy preferences away from their party’s traditional dogma in response to the decisions made by President Trump. This begs the question of if an individual’s opinion on President Trump overrides their actual policy preferences. This study attempts to answer this question by presenting subjects with a policy preference expressed by a fictional candidate who supports or opposes President Trump, depending on the treatment given. Before and after being exposed to knowledge of the fictional candidate, the subjects’ policy preferences in regard to the highlighted issue and political affiliation are measured. By doing this, this study can determine if the fictional candidate’s attitude towards President Trump significantly affects the subjects’ opinion of the highlighted policy. The results of this study can determine the impact of an individual’s opinion of President Trump on their political beliefs. These findings can also give insight into the effect that a political cult of personality can have on an individual’s policy preferences