Changing Partisan Coalitions in a Politically Divided Nation
Amid shifts in demographics and partisan allegiances, registered voters are now evenly split between the Democratic Party and the GOP.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Political Parties & Polarization
Most Americans say Republican and Democratic voters cannot agree on basic facts
Eight-in-ten U.S. adults say Republican and Democratic voters not only disagree on plans and policies, but also cannot agree on basic facts.
Americans see Republicans growing more comfortable, and Democrats less, with sharing their views
Four-in-ten U.S. adults say Republicans are very comfortable expressing their political views, and 36% say the same about Democrats.
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Political Parties & Polarization
Publications
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2016 Party Identification Detailed Tables
All Pew Research Center surveys about U.S. politics and policy include questions about partisan affiliation. In 2016, from January through August, a total of 8,113 registered voters were asked the following: In politics TODAY, do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or independent? (IF INDEPENDENT, OTHER, DON’T KNOW): As of today do you lean more […]
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In ‘political correctness’ debate, most Americans think too many people are easily offended
Six-in-ten (59%) Americans say “too many people are easily offended these days over the language that others use.” Fewer (39%) think “people need to be more careful about the language they use to avoid offending people with different backgrounds.”
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Partisanship and Political Animosity in 2016
The 2016 campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of intense partisan division and animosity. Partisans’ views of the opposing party are now more negative than at any point in nearly a quarter of a century.
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Political Polarization, 1994-2015
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A Different Look at Generations and Partisanship
Survey Report Over the past decade, there has been a pronounced age gap in American politics. Younger Americans have been the Democratic Party’s strongest supporters in both vote preferences and partisanship, while older Americans have been the most reliably Republican. The Pew Research Center’s report earlier this month on partisan identification found that 51% of […]
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Conservatives are among the most politically active Americans
By several measures, conservative Republicans – and conservatives more generally – are more politically active than most other segments of the population.
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A Deep Dive Into Party Affiliation
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.
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2014 Party Identification Detailed Tables
All Pew Research Center surveys about U.S. politics and policy include questions about partisan affiliation. In 2014 a total of 25,010 respondents were asked the following: In politics TODAY, do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or independent? (IF INDEPENDENT, OTHER, DON’T KNOW): As of today do you lean more to the Republican Party or […]
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Trends in Party Identification, 1939-2014
For more than 70 years, with few exceptions, more Americans have identified as Democrats than Republicans. But the share of independents, which surpassed the percentages of either Democrats or Republicans several years ago, continues to increase. Currently, 39% Americans identify as independents, 32% as Democrats and 23% as Republicans. This is the highest percentage of independents in more than 75 years of public opinion polling.
