A Marist poll conducted last month found that over a quarter of registered Republican voters in the United States believe the country’s diversity makes it weaker. 

The survey states, “The United States has a diverse population, with people with many different races, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds.” It then asked the respondents whether that diversity made the country “Much Stronger,” “Somewhat Stronger,” “Somewhat Weaker,” “Much Weaker,” or “Unsure.” 

Among all survey participants, 82% found diversity made the country either “much” (42%) or “somewhat” (40%) stronger. Most Democrats (92%) and Republicans (69%) see diversity as a strength for our country. 

However, over a quarter (29%) of Republican voters say diversity makes us somewhat (17%) or much (12%) weaker. This contrasts with 7% of Democrats who say we are either somewhat (6%) or much (1%) weaker due to our diversity. 

When asked if they support employers requiring workers to receive diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training, there is also a large gap between Republicans and Democrats. A majority (64%) of voters support workplace DEI initiatives. Ninety percent of Democratic voters support mandatory DEI training, with only 39% of Republicans expressing support. 

The report breaks down respondents into generational, economic and educational groups. Survey data for the Marist poll can be found here.