American voters have been trying to tell political parties and elected officials what they want, and perhaps more importantly, what they don’t want. The question remains, will they ever listen? Will things ever change?
The Gallup poll has been asking voters the following question for at least once a month since 2004: “In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or an independent?” In December, they found that 42% of respondents consider themselves independents while 26% consider themselves Republicans, and 30% consider themselves Democrats.
Gallup notes this reflects a “broader trend toward an increasing share of political independents [that] has been clear over the past decade. At least four in 10 Americans have considered themselves independents in all years since 2011, except for the 2016 and 2020 presidential election years. Before 2011, independent identification had never reached 40%.”
