2016: An Unanchored, Puzzling Presidential Election
At this point, 2016 seems more puzzling and less defined than other modern era non-incumbent races, writes Andrew Kohut.
In early 2014, Pew Research Center set out to build a probability-based panel – the American Trends Panel – to supplement our traditional method of data collection in the U.S. – the random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey. Here’s how we built and managed the panel, and what we learned from it in 2014.
39% of Americans identify as independents, more than they do as Democrats ( 32%) or as Republicans (23%). This is the highest percentage of independents in more than 75 years of public opinion polling.