Politics affects feelings of community attachment, trust in others

A person's political beliefs affect their sense of attachment with their community and trust in others, a Gallup/Knight Foundation survey finds.

The results amplify the growing body of research exploring the interplay of politics and personal identity, with its corrosive effects on an already polarized country as more and more Americans choose to associate as exclusively as possible with people who think as they do.

The study published Wednesday compared political affiliation with how a person judged the political leanings of their neighbors, resulting in a gap score between their...