Is America really that polarized? The answer might be a surprise

The U.S. has become more politically polarized, but research shows people overestimate their differences and there is 'messy middle' majority of Americans who share overlapping political views.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5500x3670+0+0/resize/5500x3670!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2Ffd%2F401ffbcb4dea8054ffd72e0169a5%2Fgettyimages-2301917700.jpg' alt='Signage directs people outside an early voting polling place on Oct. 28, in Minneapolis, Minn. America is deeply polarized politically, but research show the problem is not as extreme as people think.'/><p>The U.S. has become more politically polarized, but research shows people overestimate their differences and there is 'messy middle' majority of Americans who share overlapping political views.</p><p>(Image credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6003534' />