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
10 facts about Democrats in the U.S.
More than four-in-ten Democratic voters (44%) are Hispanic, Black, Asian, another race or multiracial, up from 23% in 1996.
10 facts about Republicans in the U.S.
About eight-in-ten Republican voters (79%) are non-Hispanic White, down from 93% nearly two decades ago.
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Political Parties & Polarization
Publications
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Men and women in the U.S. continue to differ in voter turnout rate, party identification
In every U.S. presidential election dating back to 1984, women reported having turned out to vote at slightly higher rates than men.
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Voters Rarely Switch Parties, but Recent Shifts Further Educational, Racial Divergence
Neither party nets an overall advantage from the 9% of voters who have switched since 2018.
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Black U.S. adults follow many COVID-19 news topics more closely, discuss the outbreak more frequently
Black adults were much more likely than whites and somewhat more likely than Hispanic adults to frequently discuss the pandemic with others.
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Partisan Differences Over the Pandemic Response Are Growing
Polling finds public trust in medical scientists has increased but only among Democrats – while optimism about a vaccine is broadly shared.
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The state of Americans’ trust in each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic
About a third of Americans register low levels of trust in other people, versus 29% who are “high trusters” and 32% who are “medium trusters.”
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A sore subject: Almost half of Americans have stopped talking politics with someone
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have stopped discussing political and election news with someone: 50% vs. 41%, respectively.
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As Voting Begins, Democrats Are Upbeat About the 2020 Field, Divided in Their Preferences
Democrats’ preferences for the nominee are deeply divided along ideological and demographic lines.
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Liberals make up the largest share of Democratic voters, but their growth has slowed in recent years
About half of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters describe their own political views as liberal.
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In a Politically Polarized Era, Sharp Divides in Both Partisan Coalitions
Partisanship remains the strongest factor dividing the American public. Yet there are substantial divisions within both parties on fundamental political values, views of current issues and the severity of the problems facing the nation.
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Across the Table: Would you share your views of Donald Trump over dinner?
Trump has evoked strong feelings as president – both positive and negative. How would you feel discussing him at a dinner party with a group of people who have opposing views from your own? In this interactive, see how your views compare with those of other Americans.
