This segment of moderate white women are primarily middle-aged, highly-religious voters whose interests include football, NASCAR, and rock music. In 2020, 60% of them voted for Trump, 25% for Biden, and 15% didn’t vote.
Top Traits & Values
Our research takes us beyond demographics to the traits and values that drive behavior so that we can deeply understand our audience. The traits that most define this segment of moderate white women are:
- outgroup derogation
(high) - racial resentment
(high) - religiosity
(high) - benevolent sexism
(high) - social significance
(high)
Their top values are:
Traditionalist Conservatives Are Caregivers Who Prioritize Harmony Within Their Village
Conforming to the social expectations of their in-group makes them feel safe, connected, and harmonious.
This group’s higher than average levels of racial resentment, out-group derogation, and social significance means they are susceptible to “us versus them” narratives designed to trigger fears.
Many feel their in-group (or their in-group’s social significance) is under threat. They often blame problems on people outside of their village, and particularly on the parenting choices of out-group members. Relatedly, being a mom/caregiver is an innate and very important part of their identity.
In focus groups during the summer of 2023, Traditionalist Conservatives were least likely to say that they feel like they matter in America. They believe that out-group members, particularly Black and transgender people, matter more and receive an outsized share of support and attention.
Unlike Trump Conservatives, this group doesn’t strongly believe conservative political narratives and are more neutral on the role of government. They do, however, tend to think government officials are corrupt and/or not very trustworthy. Traditionalist Conservatives also are high in religiosity, putting their trust in God and connecting their beliefs to morality: “God determines what happens in my life.”
Effective messages address these anxieties with trusted messengers that expand who they view as their in-group and tap into their values of compassion and in-group care. They see themselves as compassionate; there is an opportunity to move them to more reliably align their civic actions with that compassionate self-identity.
Top Issues for Traditionalist Conservatives
- Violence
- Inflation
- Government handouts
Demographics
