The Parties on the Eve of the 2016 Election: Two Coalitions, Moving Further Apart
Ahead of the presidential election, the demographic profiles of the Republican and Democratic parties are strikingly different.
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 […]
For many voters, it’s not which presidential candidate they’re for but which they’re against
A significant share of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump supporters say their vote is based more on which candidate they are against rather than which one they are for.
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.”
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.
Key facts about partisanship and political animosity in America
Republicans and Democrats now have more negative views of the opposing party than at any point in nearly a quarter century. These sentiments are not just limited to views of the parties and their policy proposals; they have a personal element as well.
The United States: Divided in More Ways Than One
Polarization on trade, security and immigration hobbles the U.S. and its major parties, especially Republicans.
Political Polarization, 1994-2015
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 […]
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.
