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The Pew Research Center offers fresh evidence that the divides in American politics run deep, stemming from real differences in values among Americans.

The nonpartisan research group asked Americans which of 12 different qualities were especially important to teach children. Respondents also were given the chance to choose up to three as most important. Pew then correlated the answers with political ideology.

The resulting report,being released Thursday, finds some clear divides. Conservatives are more likely to value teaching religious faith and obedience. Liberals are more likely to value teaching tolerance, empathy for others, curiosity and creativity.

Those findings are not exactly shocking. Conservatives often hold positions aligned with their religious values, such as opposition to abortion, and liberals are often express the need for public policy to show empathy for others, such as aid to the poor.

Still, they are another marker of the deep differences driving politics today, said William Galston of the Brookings Institute, a White House adviser to former President Bill Clinton. Political orientation, broad political commitments are not shallow or transient, he said.

Its not just that political fights divide the nation; its that the nations divisions over values often drive political fights.

Keith Appell, who works on behalf of many conservative issues, posited that religious faith, the most popular value for conservatives, encompasses a wide range of values: love, honesty, courtesy, respect for family.

Traditionally, families have seen these as principles to build on for success in life, he said.

Eighty-one percent of the most conservative Americans said religious faith was especially important to teach kids, and 59% said it was one of the most important qualities to teach.

Among the most liberal people: just 26% said it was especially important, and 11% said most important.

Read more:
Study: How Liberals, Conservatives Split on Religion and Tolerance