Tuned-Out Middle are defined largely by their relatively low levels of interest in politics and participation in elections. While they are roughly equally likely to associate with the Republican and Democratic parties, most don’t identify as partisans, and they tend not to hold strong positions on political issues. Just 32% voted in the 2024 election.
Still, on some issues they tilt in an ideological direction. For instance, majorities express a preference for larger government and support several social welfare policies. But they tend to be more moderate or conservative on issues related to gender identity and sexuality. They are generally moderate on immigration – supporting both border security and a pathway to legal status for those in the country illegally.
Tuned-Out Middle 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.
Tuned-Out Middle are:
- Very financially strained. A majority are lower income, and about half say they have little personal control over their financial success in life.
- Less likely than other groups to have attended college. They are the only group in which at least half have no formal education beyond high school.
- The most racially diverse group. A third are White, while about a quarter are Hispanic and a similar share are Black. About one-in-ten are Asian Americans.
- Relatively young. They are the one of the youngest typology groups after Leftward Progressives.
- Generally unplugged. They are much less likely than other typology groups to follow politics or the news.
- Skeptical of other people. A majority (68%) say most people can’t be trusted.
Political affiliation, voting and engagement
Tuned-Out Middle are closely divided in their political affiliation. Nearly identical shares associate with the Democratic Party (46%) and the GOP (43%).
| Strong Dem | Not strong Dem | Lean Dem | No Lean | Lean Rep | Not strong Rep | Strong Rep | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuned-Out Middle | 13% | 10% | 23% | 11% | 22% | 7% | 13% |
But most do not have a strong attachment to either party. More than half view themselves as independents or something else, and 11% say they do not lean toward either of the two major parties.
About half (52%) call themselves moderate, with most of the remainder identifying as conservative (31%) rather than liberal (13%).
Tuned-Out Middle are largely disengaged from politics:
- 46% say they rarely follow what’s going on in politics.
- 32% turned out to vote in 2024 – the lowest of any typology group.
- Just 31% say it really matters who wins control of Congress in the 2026 elections, far lower than the 60% of Americans overall who say this.
Key attitudes and beliefs
Tuned-Out Middle especially stand out from the other typology groups for their low engagement with politics. They are less interested in politics overall and less likely to say there is a great deal of difference in what the parties stand for. They also are more likely to express the view that they feel judged by others because of the language they use to express themselves.
| 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 |
They at least sometimes feel unfairly judged because of how they express themselves
They follow the news all or most of the time
There is a great deal of difference in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for
The government has a responsibility to provide an adequate standard of living
Same-sex marriage is bad for society
Violent crime is a very big problem in the country today
| Typology group | They at least sometimes feel unfairly judged because of how they express themselves | They follow the news all or most of the time | There is a great deal of difference in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for | The government has a responsibility to provide an adequate standard of living | Same-sex marriage is bad for society | Violent crime is a very big problem in the country today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leftward Progressives | 32% | 38% | 55% | 97% | <1% | 18% |
| Loyal Liberals | 20% | 64% | 71% | 86% | 1% | 19% |
| Left-Out Left | 39% | 20% | 45% | 88% | 8% | 43% |
| Order and Opportunity Left | 36% | 32% | 58% | 82% | 22% | 53% |
| Tuned-Out Middle | 54% | 19% | 35% | 74% | 47% | 51% |
| Pragmatic and Polite Right | 23% | 41% | 62% | 58% | 41% | 54% |
| Unconventional Right | 30% | 29% | 59% | 50% | 34% | 45% |
| Faith First Conservatives | 22% | 36% | 77% | 41% | 77% | 57% |
| No Apologies Right | 20% | 57% | 77% | 26% | 55% | 65% |
Tuned-Out Middle hold moderate and mixed political values. They modestly favor a larger government and a robust social safety net, which extends to support for programs such as Social Security and government-provided healthcare. But they also hold somewhat conservative views on issues such as same-sex marriage and gender identity.
They tend to fall toward the middle of the political spectrum on many other issues, including climate change, immigration, abortion and foreign policy.
Financially stressed
| 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 | General public | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Are lower income | 25% | 15% | 40% | 41% | 56% | 26% | 29% | 21% | 16% | 31% |
| Cannot pay some bills or can only make a partial payment on them | 19% | 14% | 39% | 36% | 50% | 20% | 25% | 18% | 13% | 27% |
| Have an emergency or rainy day fund | 48% | 65% | 33% | 40% | 36% | 60% | 55% | 54% | 64% | 50% |
Tuned-Out Middle are one of the most economically strained typology groups:
- 56% are lower income, by far the highest share of any typology group.
- Half struggle to pay their bills each month.
- Just 36% have savings that could cover three months’ worth of expenses in the event of an emergency.
This group is also among the most doubtful that Americans have a great deal or fair amount of control over how successful they will be financially (48% of Tuned-Out Middle say this).
Jump to the detailed tables to learn more about Tuned-Out Middle and the other typology groups.
