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New surveys conducted by the Program for Public Consultation across 11 competitive states and 28 competitive congressional districts reveal significant bipartisan agreement on proposals for regulating artificial intelligence. Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans favor active federal government involvement, including creating a new federal agency, mandating government testing for critical AI programs, requiring deepfake labeling, and prohibiting deepfakes in political campaigns. Furthermore, there is strong support for international treaties to regulate large-scale AI and ban fully autonomous weapons.
This section introduces the 'Common Ground in the Battlegrounds?' survey series, highlighting that it's the first in a series of 15 topics. It states that new surveys in 11 competitive states and 28 competitive congressional districts demonstrate significant bipartisan agreement between Democrats and Republicans on various proposals for regulating artificial intelligence. Steven Kull, Director of PPC, emphasizes the broad consensus for federal government involvement in AI regulation. The series aims to identify areas of bipartisan common ground on key policy questions leading up to the mid-term elections.
The surveys reveal strong bipartisan support for establishing a new federal agency dedicated to monitoring AI programs, anticipating potential problems, defining best practices, making policy recommendations, and enforcing regulations. Majorities ranging from 76% to 89% of Democrats and 66% to 85% of Republicans across all battleground states and districts, and 80% overall nationally, favored this proposal. This indicates a widespread belief across the political spectrum that a dedicated governmental body is needed to manage the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
The article details bipartisan backing for two proposals aimed at regulating AI programs used in critical decision-making processes, such as health insurance claims, loan applications, and hiring. These regulations would ensure compliance with data privacy, security, and bias prevention. Specifically, 65% to 88% of Democrats and 69% to 91% of Republicans in battlegrounds supported requiring new AI programs to pass a government-designed test before deployment. Additionally, 59% to 83% of Democrats and 59% to 80% of Republicans favored allowing the government to audit existing AI programs that make critical decisions, ensuring ongoing oversight and accountability.
Strong bipartisan majorities across all surveyed battleground states and districts supported two proposals to regulate deepfakes (AI-generated images, video, and audio). The first proposal, requiring deepfakes distributed publicly to be clearly labeled as AI-generated and not real, garnered substantial support from 84% to 95% of Democrats and 80% to 93% of Republicans. The second proposal, which seeks to prohibit political campaigns and PACs from using deepfakes in their advertisements, was also widely favored by 71% to 93% of Democrats and 76% to 90% of Republicans, reflecting concerns about their potential misuse in public discourse and elections.
The surveys found significant bipartisan agreement for the U.S. to collaborate with other nations in establishing an international treaty to regulate large-scale AI programs. Support for this proposal ranged from 70% to 89% among Democrats and 63% to 85% among Republicans in the battlegrounds, with 77% overall national support. This highlights a recognition of the global nature of AI development and the need for coordinated international efforts to govern its deployment and impact.
A strong bipartisan consensus emerged regarding the creation of an international treaty to prohibit the development and use of AI-powered weapons capable of firing on targets without direct human command. In competitive states and districts, 62% to 90% of Democrats and 59% to 87% of Republicans supported this ban, with 79% overall national support. This indicates a profound concern about the ethical and security implications of fully autonomous lethal weapons, uniting political adversaries in the call for international controls.
This section provides methodological details for the surveys, noting that state and district surveys were conducted from May 27 - June 25, 2026, involving a total of 19,564 adults, with at least 600 in each of the 11 states and 400 in each of the 28 congressional districts. The response rates varied from 7.1% to 9.0%, and confidence intervals from +/- 2.9% to 7.6%. The national survey was fielded from February 11-26, 2026, with 2,509 adults, a 7.6% response rate, and a confidence interval of +/- 2.9%. Samples were drawn from online opt-in panels, pre-stratified and weighted by demographics like age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, income, region, marital status, home ownership, and partisan affiliation to ensure representativeness. The surveys were available in both English and Spanish.
This outlines the broader scope of the 'Common Ground in the Battlegrounds?' project. It explains that the initiative involves a series of surveys across 11 competitive states and 28 U.S. House districts, covering 15 topics and over 100 specific policy questions. The project's objectives are to identify areas of bipartisan common ground on critical national issues, educate the public and policymakers about these findings, and provide journalists with independent, nonpartisan research. This effort aims to foster more informed public discourse and policymaking by highlighting areas of consensus among diverse electorates.
The Program for Public Consultation (PPC), affiliated with the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy, is a key partner in this initiative. PPC specializes in developing and conducting public consultation surveys where respondents are thoroughly informed about proposed policy solutions before offering their recommendations. Its core mission is to enhance democratic governance by systematically consulting representative samples of citizens on significant public policy issues and widely disseminating these findings to government officials, media, academics, and the general public, thereby integrating public opinion into policy discussions.
The Civic Innovation Center (CivIC) at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy is another vital project partner. CivIC is dedicated to strengthening the foundations of civic health. It actively contributes to important national and state-level debates concerning civic education, civic engagement, and necessary democratic reforms. By fostering collaboration among students, scholars, and practitioners, CivIC works to amplify the University of Maryland community's contributions to the broader democratic landscape, promoting informed and active citizenship.
Voice Of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization that plays a crucial role in the project, aiming to re-anchor American democracy in its founding principles by empowering citizens with a more effective voice in government. VOP champions innovative methods and technologies that enable the American populace to actively participate in the policymaking process. Through its efforts, VOP provides policymakers with a more accurate and nuanced understanding of their constituents' views, facilitating responsive and representative governance.