Woke is an emotionally laden word in the political world, but far less clearly defined in the real world. Even those who identify as woke don’t agree with many policies considered woke in official Washington.
In response to an open ended question, 50% of voters could loosely define the word woke as an increased awareness of social issues and discrimination. However, as with many political terms, what it means to political junkies and to everyone else are not necessarily the same.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of voters consider themselves to be woke, but this group hold a number of beliefs that contradict the term as it is understood in the political world. For example, among those who say they are woke, 81% favor cutting taxes to spur economic growth. Additionally, 53% of that group say that biological males should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Of this group who identify as woke, just 32% believe that America was founded on slavery, oppression, and racism. In other words, only 9% of voters consider themselves to be woke and believe the politically woke narrative of America’s founding.
Just 19% of voters have very favorable opinions of candidates who describe themselves as woke. Twenty-five percent (25%) have very unfavorable opinions. Most (57%) have only soft opinions or no opinion.
This Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on October 22-23, 2024. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.
See more terms politicians and everyday Americans view differently.
