If nothing else, this election cycle has proven how divided our political inclinations can be. Voters across the spectrum have struggled to see others' points of view.
But science might be able to explain why we feel so different from one another: Research shows that liberal and conservative brains are wired differently. And those opposing preferences extend far beyond the political realm into mundane, but personally defining factors like beer tastes, bedroom habits and opinions on Justin Bieber.
Below are seven interesting contrasts between Republicans and Democrats. Do you follow your party's preferences?
1. Democrats are cat people.
Forget elephants and donkeys. When it comes to household animal preference, Democrats are cat people while Republicans prefer pooches, according to a 2011 report by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The findings aren't exactly scientific: The study found that blue states have the highest rates of cat ownership, while red states contain more people with dogs. That could be for a lot of reasons, like access to physical space in which the four-legged can frolic and time spent at home to care for the animals.
In 2012, left-leaning states Minnesota, Rhode Island and New York had the lowest percentages of households with a pet dog. For example, 29 percent of New York state residents had a pet dog in the house in 2011, while the same was true of 47.9 percent of households in scarlet red Arkansas, a state that voted Republican in five of the last seven elections.
2. Republicans like chocolate ice cream.
You can tell a lot about a person by what they order at the scoop shop, apparently. In a 2011 Harris Poll, we learned Republicans favor chocolate creaminess, while Democrats tend to order vanilla.
As for where each party is enjoying its ice cream, Democrats are much more likely to frequent Ben & Jerry's. This is hardly surprising, considering the company's long-time dedication to liberal causes. They even gave democratic candidate Bernie Sanders his very own flavor this year.
3. Democrats have more sex.
But Republicans may have better sex. According to a survey by Binghamton University and Match.com of more than 5,000 single men and women in the U.S., Democrats and Republicans have different sexual experiences, on average.
Liberal respondents were more likely to have more sex more frequently, but conservatives reported better sex: The survey revealed that 53 percent of self-described conservatives said they reached orgasm every time they had sex, compared with 40 percent of liberals.
Justin Garcia, a co-researcher of the study, hypothesized that conservatives climax more consistently because "conservatives tend to be more traditional and rigid," he told CNN. "Once they've found something that works, they stick to it," he said. Because "orgasm, particularly among women, takes practice and knowing one's body," this could explain why the conservative pollers reported "better" sex.
4. Republicans sleep more soundly.
Maybe it's related to their more satisfying sexual endeavors, or maybe it's something else: Conservatives are more likely to sleep soundly than their liberal counterparts. A 2006 study found that conservatives had better sleep and fewer remembered dreams. Liberal women in particular were found to have the worst sleep quality and remembered their often vivid dreams more than anyone else.
5. Republicans drink Budweiser.
Both Democrats and Republicans prefer wine to beer or liquor, but when pressed to choose a favorite brand of brew, Democrats most favored Corona, while Republicans picked Budweiser.
Republicans are more patriotic than their liberal mates, which might explain why they sip on an American-made beer.
6. Democrats are for Beyoncé.
Those who bow to Queen B are primarily left-wing types. While Beyoncé fans might think everyone loves her, according to a 2013 poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, 63 percent of Democrats praised the queen, while just 36 of Republicans felt the same.
It's possible this has more to do with politics than pop music: Knowles has been an outspoken supporter of Barack Obama, performing the national anthem at his second inauguration in 2013 (and she just celebrated the presidential family's last Easter Egg Roll).
7. Justin Bieber is a political unifier.
The Biebs is one thing both parties agree on. In a rare tie, 54 percent of Democrats and 52 percent or Republicans said that star was "unfavorable" in the same poll by Public Policy Polling. Apparently it is too late to say sorry, Mr. Bieber.
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