About four-in-ten Americans say getting ahead means playing office politics
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from August 12 to 18, 2026. 40.4% of Americans say career success in most organizations requires playing office politics. 21.8% disagree.
Another 26.9% neither agree nor disagree, and 10.8% say the statement does not apply to them. Strong agreement accounts for 9.7%.
Topline scale
About four-in-ten Americans say getting ahead means playing office politics.
Career success in most organizations requires engaging in organizational politics.
n = 1,000 · Aug 12–18, 2026 · MoE ±3.2%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Aug 12–18, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.2% |
| Module | AOM Survey #2026-152 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026
Career success in most organizations requires engaging in organizational politics.
Cite this question
AOM Omnibus, fielded August 12-18, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.