Americans are deeply divided over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, with significant differences emerging depending on voters’ political affiliation, according to a new survey published on Tuesday.
The NBC News Survey, which was conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, found that 49 percent of registered voters said DEI efforts should be terminated in the workplace “because they create divisions and inefficiencies in the workplace by putting too much emphasis on race and other social factors over merit, skills and experience.”
A nearly equal share of U.S. adults, 48 percent, said DEI programs should be preserved “because diverse perspectives reflect our country, create innovative ideas and solutions, encourage unity and make our workplaces fair and inclusive,” according to the poll.
One percent of respondents did not agree with either of the statements. One percent were unsure.
Over half of respondents, 51 percent, said there is “too much political correctness in our society today and too much pressure on people to limit what they can do or say to avoid offending other people.” Another 45 percent of Americans said there’s “too much” prejudice in society currently and people “need to be more respectful in what they do and say to avoid offending other people.”
Since taking office on Jan. 20, President Trump has moved to eliminate DEI programs in the federal government. The Trump administration directed that all federal workers working in DEI offices be put on paid leave and that DEI-related websites and social media pages be taken down.
Both before and after his inauguration, a number of large corporations have taken steps to terminate their own DEI initiatives.
Those in support of or against DEI programs are widely split based on their party affiliation, the poll found.
A large majority of GOP voters, 85 percent, said DEI efforts should be terminated. Across the aisle, the same share of Democratic Party backers argued that those programs should be kept alive. The majority of independents also favored preserving DEI initiatives, at 59 percent, while 39 percent said they should be cut.
A similar split was seen when voters were asked if there is too much political correctness or too much prejudice in society today. Eighty percent of Republican voters said there is too much political correctness in society. Nearly the same share of Democrats, 77 percent, argued there’s too much prejudice.
Independents were more evenly divided on the question than that regarding DEI initiatives. Nearly half, 46 percent, of independents said there is too much political correctness, while 43 percent said there’s too much prejudice, according to the poll.
The survey was conducted from March 7-11 among 1,000 registered U.S. voters. The margin of error was 3.1 percentage points.
