---
title: "How the political typology groups feel about the Republican and Democratic parties"
description: "The 2026 Pew Research Center political typology identifies nine distinct groups in the American public, some highly ideological and partisan, others more ideologically mixed. While partisan affiliation was not a factor in developing the nine typology groups, some groups are firmly in the Democratic camp, while others are overwhelmingly Republican. But several groups include sizable […]"
date: "2026-06-10"
authors:
  - name: "Jocelyn Kiley"
    job_title: "Director, Politics Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/jocelyn-kiley/"
  - name: "J. Baxter Oliphant"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher "
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/baxter-oliphant/"
  - name: "Hannah Hartig"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/hannah-hartig/"
  - name: "Gabriel Borelli"
    job_title: "Research Associate"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/gabriel-borelli/"
  - name: "Andrew Daniller"
    job_title: "Research Associate"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/andrew-daniller/"
  - name: "Steven Shepard"
    job_title: "Associate Director, Politics"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/steven-shepard/"
  - name: "Ted Van Green"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/ted-van-green/"
  - name: "Andy Cerda"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/andy-cerda/"
  - name: "Shanay Gracia"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/shanay-gracia/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/how-the-political-typology-groups-feel-about-the-republican-and-democratic-parties/"
categories:
  - "Partisanship & Issues"
  - "Political Issues"
  - "Political Typology"
  - "Politics & Policy"
  - "U.S. Elections & Voters"
---

# How the political typology groups feel about the Republican and Democratic parties

**About this research**

This Pew Research Center study goes beyond Americans’ partisan attachments and vote choices to explore the values and attitudes that underlie the political landscape and the Republican and Democratic parties. We did this by creating a political typology, which classifies the public into nine groups based on their responses to 30 questions about government, economics, immigration, elected officials and other topics. To learn more about this project, jump to “[About the political typology](http://pewresearch.org/political-typology/about)."

#### Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center conducts research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We have studied Americans’ political values and attitudes, and their views on politics more broadly, for decades. This is the [ninth version of the political typology](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/appendix-c-the-history-of-the-political-typology/); the first was conducted [nearly 40 years ago](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/1987/09/30/the-people-the-press-politics/).

Learn more [about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/).

#### How did we do this?

We surveyed 10,357 U.S. adults from Nov. 17 to 30, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population. We then used a statistical technique called cluster analysis to divide people into nine groups. (For more on the process of dividing people into groups and surveys used for analysis, jump to [Appendix B](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/appendix-b-typology-group-creation-and-analysis/).)

Here are the [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_questionnaire.pdf) used for this analysis, the [detailed responses](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_topline.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/typology-2026-appendix-a-survey-methodology/).[][]

The 2026 Pew Research Center political typology identifies nine distinct groups in the American public, some highly ideological and partisan, others more ideologically mixed.

[![Chart shows The partisan makeup of the 2026 political typology groups](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_0-01.png?w=420){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=311996)

While partisan affiliation was not a factor in developing the nine typology groups, some groups are firmly in the Democratic camp, while others are overwhelmingly Republican. But several groups include sizable shares of *both* Republicans and Democrats – reflecting that they are made up of individuals with an ideologically mixed set of values who may be pulled in some ways to the Democratic Party and in other ways to the Republican Party.

*This analysis is part of Pew Research Center’s 2026 Political Typology. To learn more about the typology, start with the [overview](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/).* *To find which group is your best fit, [take the quiz](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/). *

Views about the effectiveness of politics and the parties themselves also vary across the typology groups – in ways that not only reflect a group’s underlying partisan composition, but also their overall feelings about the political system.

**What is the political typology?**

Pew Research Center’s political typology divides the American public into nine political groups based on responses to 30 questions about people’s social and political values and beliefs.

The goal of this long-standing project is to go beyond partisan leanings or vote choices to provide a deeper understanding of the American political landscape. This is the [ninth version of the political typology](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/appendix-c-the-history-of-the-political-typology/) – the first was conducted [nearly 40 years ago.](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/1987/09/30/the-people-the-press-politics/)

These questions were asked in a survey of 10,357 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 17-30, 2025, using Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel – a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults.

For more on the cluster analysis process used to create the groups, the questions used, and how we look at data across multiple surveys, visit [Appendix B.](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/appendix-b-typology-group-creation-and-analysis/)

Take the [typology quiz](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/) to find out which political typology group you fit into.

### How groups feel about partisan representation

Most Americans say they are at least somewhat well-represented by one of the two major parties, but about a quarter (25%) feel that neither party represents them particularly well – and this differs across the typology groups.

[![Chart shows The most ideologically consistent typology groups are more likely to feel well-represented by the parties than others](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_0-02.png?w=420){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=311997)

In general, groups that hold a mix of values that cross traditional partisan and ideological lines – like the Order and Opportunity Left and the Pragmatic and Polite Right – are more likely to say they don’t feel well-represented by the parties. But beyond that overall dynamic, two groups stand out.

Even as they are liberal on nearly all dimensions and almost universally back Democrats over Republicans in elections, **Leftward Progressives are among the groups least likely to feel well-represented by either party** – 31% say this.

Another majority Democratic group – **Left-Out Left – are the most likely of all the typology groups to say neither party represents them well.** Even as they hold liberal to moderate views on issues and back Democratic candidates by wide margins, nearly four-in-ten (39%) say neither party represents them well.

[![Chart shows Left-Out Left are particularly likely to say neither party cares about people like them](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_0-03.png?w=420){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=311998)

Left-Out Left are also particularly likely to say neither party cares about people like them: 29% say this, compared with 18% of the public overall and a similar share of most other groups.

Loyal Liberals and No Apologies Right are much *less* likely to say this (11% each).

At the same time, about two-in-ten Americans say *both* parties care at least some about people like them. This number is higher than the public overall among:

- Tuned-Out Middle (37%)

- Pragmatic and Polite Right (31%)

- Order and Opportunity Left (29%)

- Unconventional Right (27%)

### How big are the differences between the two parties?

In the new typology, some groups see more of a distinction between the two parties than others.

[![Chart shows Some Democratic-stronghold groups are much less likely to see differences between the parties than others](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_0-04.png?w=310){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=311999)

Though six-in-ten Americans say there is a *great deal* of difference in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for, that rises to at least seven-in-ten among Loyal Liberals, Faith First Conservatives and No Apologies Right.

Left-Out Left again stand out on this measure. They are far less likely to see a difference than most other groups: 45% say there is a great deal of difference between the parties. Only the largely disengaged Tuned-Out Middle are less likely to see a big difference.

### Feelings toward the parties

[![Chart shows How the typology groups feel toward the Republican and Democratic parties](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/PP_2026.5.10_political-typology_0-05.png?w=310){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=312000)

On a “feeling thermometer” rating of both parties – where values closer to 0 indicate “cool” ratings and scores closer to 100 indicate “warm” ratings – feelings about the parties largely reflect the partisan leanings of each typology group.

For example, No Apologies Right and Faith First Conservatives give the Republican Party much higher ratings than the other groups do – and also rate the Democratic Party much more negatively.

But the pattern breaks somewhat among left-tilting groups – Leftward Progressives are not nearly as warm to the Democratic Party as Loyal Liberals (56% vs. 66% respectively).

---

**Next:** [How voting, political participation and news sources differ across political typology groups](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/06/10/how-voting-political-participation-and-news-sources-differ-across-political-typology-groups.md)