Though about four-in-ten Americans call themselves 'independents,' few are truly independent

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May 14, 2019

6 facts about U.S. political independents

Though about four-in-ten Americans call themselves ‘independents,’ few are truly independent

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Though about four-in-ten Americans call themselves ‘independents,’ few are truly independent

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6 facts about U.S. political independents
More Republican leaners have conservative attitudes across major issues; Democratic leaners increasingly express liberal views
Steep growth in highly negative views of opposing party among partisans, leaners
Fewer than half of partisan leaners rate members of their own parties warmly
Push and pull factors into partisan leaning, but ‘push’ matters more
Share of political independents has continued to grow
Independents who do not lean to a party less likely to say they voted in 2018
Leaners much less likely than partisans to say quality of candidates running for office ‘has been good’
People who affiliate with a party and independents who lean toward it have similar views on current political issues
Republican-leaning independents more likely than Republicans to favor legal marijuana, gay marriage

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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