2026 Start of Year Survey
At the start of 2026, Galvanize Action surveyed 600 ideologically-moderate white women to gauge their opinions on key issues and beliefs about the likelihood of potential social, economic, and civic scenarios occurring over the next four years.
Key Findings
- The economy remains the most important issue to our audience, and the results of a choice-based conjoint analysis show that housing affordability is a more influential factor than healthcare or caregiving affordability.
- The majority of ideologically-moderate white women in this sample support implementing safety and security regulations on Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, especially around regulating content to prevent misinformation and requiring safety audits before public release.
- Women in this audience think the views of both political parties are “too extreme” on a variety of issues. However, for three issues in particular (abortion, climate, and healthcare), more of our audience thinks the Democratic Party’s views are “about right” than they think the Republican Party’s views are “about right.”
- A majority disapproves of President Trump overall as well as his handling of various issues including healthcare, economy, and abortion.
Details
Economy and Top Issues
Galvanize Action asked ideologically-moderate white women to describe their current financial situation in order to get a sense of how the economy is affecting them. We previously asked this question to a different sample of ideologically-moderate white women in May of 2025. Current findings remain consistent, showing that most women in our audience primarily report that they are either able to cover basic expenses but unable to save money, or that they are living comfortably and able to save a little.
CONJOINT ANALYSIS
Because Galvanize Action knows how important “affordability” is to this audience, we wanted to get a sense of which aspects of affordability take priority. To do this, we conducted a choice-based conjoint analysis. Participants completed nine choice-based tasks, in which they were presented with combinations of different levels for each attribute: housing, healthcare, and caregiving.
Imagine you are deciding who to vote for in an upcoming election. You will see descriptions of two candidates and their policy positions on housing, healthcare, and caregiving costs. For each pair, please select which candidate you would prefer to vote for. You will evaluate 9 different pairs of candidates. Each candidate’s positions may differ from previous pairs. There are no right or wrong answers. We want to understand which policies matter most to you.
| Level 01 | Level 02 | Level 03 | |
| Housing | Costs stay roughly the same | Costs increase moderately | Costs increase drastically |
| Healthcare | Out-of-pocket costs capped at a low amount | Out-of-pocket costs remain the same | Out-of-pocket costs increase |
| Caregiving | Costs for childcare, elder care, and disability care decrease | Costs for childcare, elder care, and disability care stay the same | Costs for childcare, elder care, and disability care increase |
Looking at each of the attributes, we found that housing was the most influential, while caregiving was the least influential. Respondents’ decisions were most often based on what affordability for housing looked like in their choice sets, which indicates that, of the three attributes we presented, women in our audience care most about how affordable housing is.
Example: When “housing costs increase drastically” is presented in the choice set, there’s a 28% decrease in selecting that set as their preferred option.
Level utilities are calculated based on the average preference scores for each level. Levels that are strongly preferred by respondents are assigned higher percentages, while levels that perform poorly (in comparison) are assigned lower or even negative percentages.
Issue Ranking
In previous surveys, Galvanize Action presented participants with a list of issues and asked them to select the one they believe to be the most important. Overwhelmingly, women in our audience select “economy” when asked to choose one.
In this survey, Galvanize Action presented respondents with a list of issues and asked them to rank each one from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important).
Consistent with previous single-selection questions, a plurality of women surveyed ranked the economy as #1, and a majority ranked it somewhere in their top 5. We also see that while “preserving democracy” has the second highest percentage ranked #1, a majority of respondents actually rank it somewhere between 6 and 10. This indicates that while there is a notable percentage of our audience who cares deeply about “preserving democracy,” the majority do not find it to be as important as other issues.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATIONS
With generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and content becoming more commonplace in daily life, we wanted to know how supportive our audience would be toward potential regulations on AI systems. The majority of this sample either somewhat or strongly supports the types of example regulations they were shown in this survey, especially regulating content to prevent misinformation and requiring safety audits before public release. While still overall supportive, we see less enthusiasm for the potential of participating in international agreements to coordinate AI regulation. Additionally, we see pushback against prioritizing rapid development of AI with little to no regulation, which the majority of our audience either somewhat or strongly disagrees with. These findings indicate that women in our audience are overall very supportive of imposing safety and security regulations on AI.
Opinions on the Political Parties
In a previous survey, Galvanize Action asked a different sample of ideologically-moderate white women whether they believe the views of each political party overall are too conservative, too liberal, or about right. That survey found that nearly half of respondents thought that the views of the Republican party are “too conservative,” and that nearly half thought the views of the Democratic party are “too liberal.”
To go more in-depth, this time Galvanize Action presented respondents with a list of issues and asked them to rate whether each party’s views for each are too liberal/conservative, about right, not liberal/conservative enough, or if they don’t know enough to say.
Consistent with previous findings, we see that more women in our audience think each party’s views are too extreme than not extreme enough. The issues with the most “too liberal” responses for the Democratic Party are crime, immigration, and LGBT issues. Interestingly, LGBT issues also received many “too conservative” responses for the Republican Party, as did abortion.
For most issues, more women in our audience think the views of the Democratic Party are “about right” than the views of the Republican Party, or response rates are similar. The most notable differences are abortion, climate, and healthcare.
Opinions on Trump
Nearly half of women surveyed say they strongly disapprove of President Trump when considering the past year. These findings are consistent with a similar question asked in the October 2025 Current Events Survey.
We also asked participants to rate how they think Trump has been handling specific issues. The majority of respondents either somewhat or strongly disapprove of the way Trump has been handling each of the issues listed. At the top of the list we see healthcare, followed by economy and abortion.
Democracy
Galvanize Action presented respondents with a list of potential actions that could be taken by the federal government and asked them, regardless of the likelihood of those actions, which actions would make them feel the need to speak out, protest, or take other actions against them. Participants were allowed to select as many responses as they wanted. We also asked this question to three different samples of ideologically-moderate white women in previous surveys conducted in March, August, and November of 2025.
Looking at responses from August to November, we see only small changes in percent selected for nearly all actions listed, indicating that opinions among our audience are stable. We see some potential increases in “refuses to abide by court orders and takes unconstitutional actions” and “passes a law that forces people to report anyone who isn’t a citizen to the government.” However, these results also suggest a return to baseline levels for the percentage of respondents who say they would not be willing to risk their safety to oppose any of these actions. In November, we saw a significant decrease, from 21% in August to 11% in November. In January, we see 19%, which is consistent with responses from March and August, indicating that November figure was an outlier.
As in surveys in August and November 2025, Galvanize Action asked participants whether they support or oppose President Trump’s recent policies, and whether they would 1. not take action, 2. would like to take action, or 3. have taken action to show their support or opposition. Looking at responses by segment, we see some potential changes among both Pragmatists and Centrists, where we see increases in the amount of respondents in both groups who say that they oppose Trump’s recent policies and would like to take action.
Candidate Traits
To learn more about what kinds of public officials women in our audience would like to see, Galvanize Action asked them which three traits mattered most to them when making a voting decision for U.S. House or Senate.
Nearly half of respondents selected “honest and transparent” among their three choices. Also frequently selected were “respects the rule of law,” “works with others to solve problems,” and “keeps promises.” At the bottom of the list, we see options such as “brings new ideas” and “speaks plainly.”
Midterm Vote Choice
This survey also asked participants how they plan to vote in the midterms. Galvanize Action previously asked this question to a different sample of ideologically-moderate white women in October of 2025. These findings remain consistent, showing that, while more women surveyed say they plan to vote Democrat than Republican, roughly a quarter say they are not sure yet how they’ll vote, and an additional 13% say they do not plan to vote in the midterms at all.
Looking at responses by segment, we see that more Pragmatists plan to vote Republican than Democrat, and more Centrists plan to vote Democrat than Republican. Large percentages of both Pragmatists and Centrists indicate that they do plan to vote, but aren’t sure yet who they’ll vote for.
METHODOLOGY
- Launch Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- Sample Size: 600
- Audience: Ideologically-moderate white women across the United States
QUESTIONNAIRE
QUESTION #1 | CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION
Which of the following best describes your current financial situation?
| I can’t cover basic expenses and am in a financial crisis | 12% |
| I’m falling behind or relying on credit | 9% |
| I can cover basic expenses, but can’t save | 37% |
| I’m living comfortably and saving a little | 33% |
| I’m financially secure, saving easily, and can afford extras | 9% |
QUESTION #2 | ISSUE RANKS
The following list of issues is presented alphabetically. Thinking about the issues our government could address, please rank the following from MOST important (1) to LEAST important (10):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Economy | 30% | 16% | 16% | 10% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Preserving democracy | 18% | 9% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 8% | 8% | 11% | 12% | 19% |
| Climate | 10% | 10% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 10% | 18% |
| Abortion | 10% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 10% | 8% | 10% | 12% | 12% | 17% |
| Crime | 10% | 16% | 14% | 12% | 10% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 3% |
| Healthcare | 9% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 11% | 4% | 2% |
| Immigration | 7% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 22% | 16% |
| Gun violence | 3% | 7% | 10% | 13% | 12% | 15% | 16% | 11% | 8% | 4% |
| Foreign affairs/focus overseas | 2% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 12% | 15% | 12% | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| Education | 2% | 7% | 11% | 15% | 16% | 13% | 11% | 12% | 8% | 4% |
QUESTION #3 | AI REGULATIONS
In the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) tools like chatbots and image generators have become more common in daily life. To what extent would you support or oppose the following policies for AI systems in the United States?
| Strongly oppose | Somewhat oppose | Neither support nor oppose | Somewhat support | Strongly support | |
| Regulate AI systems that generate or distribute content to prevent misinformation or manipulation | 2% | 4% | 14% | 30% | 51% |
| Require independent safety and security audits of AI systems before public release | 2% | 3% | 14% | 30% | 51% |
| Require companies to limit their use of personal data when training or operating AI systems | 1% | 4% | 19% | 30% | 46% |
| Policies to prevent job loss and support access to new employment opportunities for workers displaced by AI automation | 2% | 4% | 17% | 30% | 45% |
| Require independent audits to identify and reduce bias in AI systems | 2% | 3% | 19% | 33% | 42% |
| Require AI companies to measure and mitigate negative environmental impacts of their systems | 2% | 3% | 21% | 33% | 41% |
| Participate in international agreements to coordinate AI regulation across countries | 4% | 7% | 26% | 32% | 31% |
| Prioritize rapid development of AI technology with minimal regulatory oversight | 35% | 26% | 21% | 12% | 6% |
QUESTION #4 | DEMOCRATIC PARTY VIEWS
Regardless of someone’s political affiliation, many people have opinions on both major political parties in the United States. For each of the following issues, please consider how the Democratic Party is currently addressing the issue and select the option that best describes your opinion.
The Democratic Party’s views are…
| I don’t know enough to say | Too liberal | About right | Not liberal enough | |
| Abortion | 11% | 32% | 43% | 14% |
| Climate | 15% | 25% | 44% | 16% |
| Crime | 13% | 36% | 34% | 17% |
| DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) | 16% | 32% | 38% | 13% |
| Preserving democracy | 20% | 20% | 41% | 18% |
| Economy | 14% | 28% | 38% | 20% |
| Education | 15% | 27% | 43% | 15% |
| Foreign affairs/focus overseas | 21% | 26% | 38% | 14% |
| Gun violence | 16% | 30% | 35% | 19% |
| Healthcare | 16% | 23% | 41% | 20% |
| Immigration | 15% | 35% | 35% | 16% |
| LGBT issues | 18% | 35% | 34% | 13% |
QUESTION #5 | REPUBLICAN PARTY VIEWS
Regardless of someone’s political affiliation, many people have opinions on both major political parties in the United States. For each of the following issues, please consider how the Republican Party is currently addressing the issue and select the option that best describes your opinion.
The Republican Party’s views are…
| I don’t know enough to say | Too conservative | About right | Not conservative enough | |
| Abortion | 14% | 46% | 30% | 10% |
| Climate | 19% | 30% | 32% | 19% |
| Crime | 14% | 23% | 39% | 25% |
| DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) | 18% | 33% | 32% | 16% |
| Preserving democracy | 19% | 26% | 34% | 20% |
| Economy | 14% | 32% | 31% | 24% |
| Education | 16% | 31% | 36% | 17% |
| Foreign affairs/focus overseas | 22% | 26% | 35% | 18% |
| Gun violence | 12% | 32% | 32% | 25% |
| Healthcare | 12% | 37% | 27% | 24% |
| Immigration | 10% | 39% | 32% | 19% |
| LGBT issues | 20% | 41% | 22% | 16% |
QUESTION #6 | TRUMP APPROVAL
[OVERALL] Thinking about the past year since President Trump began his second term, as a whole, would you say you approve or disapprove of President Trump?
[ISSUES] Now, thinking about specific issues over the past year since President Trump took office, do you approve or disapprove of the way President Trump is currently handling…
| Strongly approve | Somewhat approve | Somewhat disapprove | Strongly disapprove | |
| Overall | 14% | 24% | 15% | 47% |
| Healthcare | 10% | 25% | 25% | 40% |
| Economy | 13% | 25% | 23% | 39% |
| Abortion | 9% | 29% | 20% | 42% |
| Immigration | 21% | 19% | 18% | 42% |
| Foreign affairs/focus overseas | 16% | 24% | 20% | 40% |
| Preserving democracy | 16% | 24% | 19% | 41% |
| Gun violence | 15% | 26% | 20% | 39% |
| LGBT issues | 14% | 29% | 18% | 40% |
| Education | 11% | 31% | 23% | 35% |
| Climate | 9% | 34% | 22% | 36% |
| DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) | 15% | 27% | 20% | 37% |
| Crime | 18% | 28% | 21% | 33% |
QUESTION #7 | RED LINES
Whether or not you think they will actually happen, which of the following actions would you consider a “red line” if the federal government did them? In other words, if the government did these things, you would feel the need to do something about it? Please select all that apply.
| March 2025 | August 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | |
| Allows the military to use deadly force against peaceful protesters | 58% | 58% | 56% | 56% |
| Uses the justice system to jail political opponents without proof they did anything wrong | 54% | 53% | 52% | 53% |
| Refuses to abide by lawful court orders and takes unconstitutional actions | 52% | 50% | 52% | 56% |
| Passes a law taking away custody rights from transgender, lesbian, and gay parents and forcing their children to be taken from them | 51% | 46% | 48% | 49% |
| Takes away citizenship from children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents who came here illegally | 43% | 42% | 43% | 44% |
| Passes a law that forces people to report anyone who isn’t a citizen to the government | 44% | 41% | 40% | 44% |
| Uses federal agencies to stop media outlets from criticizing elected officials | 41% | 38% | 41% | 43% |
| I would not risk my safety or the safety of my loved ones to oppose any of these actions | 20% | 21% | 11% | 19% |
| I would not oppose any of these actions | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% |
QUESTION #8 | OPINION ON TRUMP POLICIES AND TAKING ACTION
Thinking about what people can do to show their views on President Trump’s recent policies, which of the following best describes you?
| Traditionalist | |||
| August 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | |
| I have taken action to oppose President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 2% | 5% | 2% |
| I would like to take action to oppose President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 8% | 9% | 12% |
| I oppose President Trump’s policies but would not take action to oppose them. | 11% | 14% | 20% |
| I support President Trump’s policies but I would not take action to support them. | 35% | 36% | 28% |
| I would like to take action to support President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 29% | 17% | 20% |
| I have taken action to support President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Pragmatist | |||
| August 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | |
| I have taken action to oppose President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 1% | 5% | 2% |
| I would like to take action to oppose President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 12% | 12% | 20% |
| I oppose President Trump’s policies but would not take action to oppose them. | 18% | 17% | 19% |
| I support President Trump’s policies but I would not take action to support them. | 51% | 37% | 29% |
| I would like to take action to support President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 11% | 15% | 17% |
| I have taken action to support President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 7% | 15% | 14% |
| Centrist | |||
| August 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | |
| I have taken action to oppose President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| I would like to take action to oppose President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 22% | 23% | 37% |
| I oppose President Trump’s policies but would not take action to oppose them. | 34% | 29% | 31% |
| I support President Trump’s policies but I would not take action to support them. | 28% | 23% | 16% |
| I would like to take action to support President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 4% | 11% | 9% |
| I have taken action to support President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 7% | 5% | 1% |
| Egalitarian | |||
| August 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | |
| I have taken action to oppose President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 35% | 36% | 25% |
| I would like to take action to oppose President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 35% | 33% | 40% |
| I oppose President Trump’s policies but would not take action to oppose them. | 19% | 23% | 25% |
| I support President Trump’s policies but I would not take action to support them. | 8% | 5% | 4% |
| I would like to take action to support President Trump’s policies but have not done so since he took office. | 3% | 2% | 4% |
| I have taken action to support President Trump’s policies since he took office. | 1% | 1% | 2% |
QUESTION #9 | CANDIDATE TRAITS
When you’re making your final voting decision for a candidate for U.S. House or U.S. Senate, which THREE of the following matter the most to you?
| Honest and transparent | 48% |
| Respects the rule of law | 38% |
| Works with others to solve problems | 36% |
| Keeps promises | 34% |
| Effective at getting results | 28% |
| Shares my core values | 26% |
| Stands up to powerful interests | 21% |
| Uses good judgment under pressure | 20% |
| Understands people like me | 18% |
| Calm, steady temperament | 13% |
| Speaks plainly | 9% |
| Brings new ideas | 8% |
QUESTION #10 | MIDTERM VOTE CHOICE
Which of the following best describes your plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections?
| I plan to vote Democrat | I plan to vote Republican | I plan to vote, but I’m not sure yet how I’ll vote | I do not plan to vote | |
| Full Sample | 36% | 26% | 26% | 13% |
| Traditionalist | 14% | 50% | 20% | 15% |
| Pragmatist | 20% | 45% | 25% | 11% |
| Centrist | 34% | 15% | 36% | 15% |
| Egalitarian | 68% | 1% | 22% | 10% |
