71% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 95% of Republicans say a photo ID should be required to vote. Those figures come from Pew Research Center.

What is striking is how different this looks from the public debate. Among pundits, politicians, and cultural elites, voter ID is treated as a deeply polarizing issue, with constant argument over whether such requirements are justified. But among ordinary Americans, including a clear majority of Democrats, support is widespread.

It is a reminder that the views of the general public often diverge from the impressions created by media debates.

You see a similar pattern with what social scientists call the “success sequence.” The idea is simple: graduate from high school, get a full-time job, and marry before having children. Follow these three steps, and your chances of being in poverty by age 30 drop dramatically.

If you look at online commentary, you might assume this is a partisan flashpoint. The common impression is that Republicans support the success sequence while Democrats reject it.

But survey data tell a different story. In a recent poll, parents were asked whether the success sequence should be taught in schools. About 71 percent of Democratic parents and 69 percent of Republican parents said yes. In other words, roughly seven in ten parents across party lines support it.

Once again, there is a gap between elite discourse and public opinion. If you relied only on articles, podcasts, and online debates, you might conclude that half the country opposes teaching these ideas. In reality, there is broad agreement that rarely makes it into the foreground of public conversation.