Faith First Conservatives are deeply conservative in their political values and are stalwart supporters of the Republican Party and Donald Trump, though their political style is not as uncompromising as No Apologies Right (the other typology group firmly at the core of the Republican coalition). They are highly religious and hold traditional stances on many social issues.
Faith First Conservatives are one of nine groups in Pew Research Center’s 2026 Political Typology. To learn more about the typology, start with the overview. To find which group is your best fit, take the quiz.
By wide majorities, Faith First Conservatives oppose abortion and see same-sex marriage as bad for society. Nearly all say gender is determined by one’s sex at birth. They are more likely than others to view gambling, watching pornography, using marijuana and getting a divorce as morally wrong.
Faith First Conservatives are highly critical of traditional U.S. allies. Like No Apologies Right, many view them as a burden and are skeptical of international organizations like NATO. Many also say the United States stands above other countries. And they place particular value on the nation’s status as a military superpower.
While Faith First Conservatives hold conservative stances on border security and are generally supportive of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, they are not as hard-line as No Apologies Right when it comes to immigration policy.
Faith First Conservatives are:
- By far the most religious – and most Christian – typology group. They are also much more likely than other groups to regularly attend religious services.
- Fiscally oriented toward small government. They prefer a government that is more hands-off on economic issues and generally oppose social welfare programs.
- One of the most rural groups, with 41% saying they live in rural areas.
- Strong Republicans who back Trump. But their support is less absolute than that of No Apologies Right, with many saying they have mixed feelings about the way Trump conducts himself. They also are less likely to embrace an uncompromising approach to politics.
Political affiliation, voting and engagement
Nearly all Faith First Conservatives (95%) are Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, and about half say they strongly identify with the GOP (47%). More than three-quarters (78%) describe themselves as conservative.
| Strong Dem | Not strong Dem | Lean Dem | No Lean | Lean Rep | Not strong Rep | Strong Rep | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith First Conservatives | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 29% | 18% | 47% |
As of April, 81% approve of Trump’s job performance, with 58% strongly approving. Nine-in-ten say they support the MAGA movement, and about eight-in-ten (82%) have a favorable view of the Republican Party.
Faith First Conservatives are fairly politically engaged, though not quite at the levels of No Apologies Right and Loyal Liberals:
- 75% turned out to vote in the 2024 presidential election. Among those who voted, 97% went for Trump.
- 72% follow news about the government at least some of the time.
- 66% say it really matters who wins control of Congress in the 2026 elections.
Key attitudes and beliefs
Faith First Conservatives are especially conservative when it comes to traditional social values. About half (49%) say believing in God is essential to being a good and moral person, and they are more likely than those in other groups to oppose abortion and see homosexuality as morally wrong.
| Leftward Progressives | |
| Loyal Liberals | |
| Left-Out Left |
| Order and Opportunity Left | |
| Tuned-Out Middle | |
| Pragmatic and Polite Right |
| Unconventional Right | |
| Faith First Conservatives | |
| No Apologies Right |
Medication abortion should be illegal
It is essential to believe in God in order to be good and moral
Homosexuality is morally wrong
Illegal immigration is a very big problem in the country today
The U.S. stands above all other countries in the world
It’s extremely important for Trump to push hard for his politics against Democrats
| Typology group | Medication abortion should be illegal | It is essential to believe in God in order to be good and moral | Homosexuality is morally wrong | Illegal immigration is a very big problem in the country today | The U.S. stands above all other countries in the world | It is extremely important for Trump to push hard for his politics against Democrats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leftward Progressives | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 6% |
| Loyal Liberals | 2% | 3% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 6% |
| Left Out Left | 11% | 10% | 15% | 15% | 4% | 7% |
| Order and Opportunity Left | 16% | 27% | 32% | 31% | 13% | 10% |
| Tuned Out Middle | 35% | 32% | 51% | 28% | 17% | 7% |
| Pragmatic and Polite Right | 31% | 28% | 48% | 47% | 21% | 14% |
| Unconventional Right | 26% | 17% | 48% | 45% | 31% | 15% |
| Faith First Conservatives | 69% | 49% | 82% | 73% | 54% | 29% |
| No Apologies Right | 45% | 30% | 64% | 82% | 68% | 50% |
Like No Apologies Right, Faith First Conservatives are far more likely than those in other groups to say the U.S. stands above all other countries and that its influence has been getting stronger in recent years.
They see illegal immigration as a big problem for the country and favor restrictive immigration policies. They are among the strongest supporters of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
They also express clear preferences for limiting the federal government’s role as a social safety net. Most reject the idea that the government has a responsibility to ensure Americans have healthcare coverage, and about three-quarters say government services should be reduced from their current levels. But Faith First Conservatives are somewhat more likely than most other typology groups to say the government should have a role in encouraging people to have children, and 64% say fewer people having children is bad for society.
Faith is a stronger guiding force than for other groups
Religion influences many aspects of Faith First Conservatives’ worldview – to a greater extent than for those in other groups.
| Leftward Progressives | Loyal Liberals | Left-Out Left | Order & Opportunity Left | Tuned-Out Middle | Pragmatic & Polite Right | Unconventional Right | Faith First Conservatives | No Apologies Right | General public | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treat other people | 27% | 38% | 45% | 65% | 64% | 74% | 53% | 83% | 67% | 59% |
| Think about morality | 26% | 33% | 43% | 57% | 59% | 69% | 51% | 82% | 67% | 56% |
| Vote | 14% | 14% | 12% | 20% | 30% | 29% | 19% | 53% | 34% | 25% |
About eight-in-ten say religion does a great deal or fair amount to shape the way they:
- Treat other people (83%)
- Think about morality (82%)
And they are the only group in which half or more say religion shapes the way they vote (53%).
Jump to the detailed tables to learn more about Faith First Conservatives and the other typology groups.
