8 in 10 Americans say the country is more divided than ever

Fully 85 percent of Americans say they believe the United States is more deeply divided on major issues than it has been in recent years, per a new CNN/ORC poll released Sunday — and they aren't happy about it. Nearly as many, 79 percent, would like to see President-elect Donald Trump incorporate some of the Democratic Party's policies in his administration, and only 40 percent agree Trump has a mandate justifying exclusive advance of his own agenda.

Intriguingly, poll respondents were equally split on the question of whether single-party government — Republicans will control the House, Senate, and White House for at least two years — is good or bad for the country. That ambiguity may stem at least in part from the apparently rising popularity of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whose favorability rating CNN records has trended up from 24 percent in 2012 to a high of 47 percent today.

The survey also asked whether Americans are ready to scrap the Electoral College after this election, in which Trump got fewer votes than rival Hillary Clinton but still won the day. Though a majority (51 percent) said they support amending the Constitution to change this system, that enthusiasm is substantially lower than the 61 percent support for an amendment following the 2000 election.

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