WASHINGTON, D.C. — Political independents continue to constitute the largest political bloc in the U.S., with an average of 43% of U.S. adults identifying this way in 2023, tying the record high from 2014. Independent identification has been 40% or higher each year since 2011, except for the 2016 (39%) and 2020 (39%) presidential election years. Equal 27% shares of U.S. adults identify as Republicans and Democrats, with the Democratic figure marking a new low for that party in Gallup’s trend.
Independents first outnumbered supporters of both major political parties in 1991 and have continued to do so since then, except in several years between 2004 and 2008. Over time, the increase in the percentage of independents has come more at the expense of Democrats than Republicans, which might be expected since Democrats were previously the largest political group.
Gallup asks respondents in each survey whether they identify politically as a Republican, a Democrat or an independent. The results reported here are based on combined data for each year, including interviews with more than 12,000 U.S. adults in 2023.
Independent identification was up two percentage points in 2023 compared with 2022, while […]
The term “Independent” is a euphemism for politically homeless as both major parties represent a smaller share of the electorate. As the article indicates you will be able to mark this shift to 1991, when the ranks of the politically homeless swelled. So what might have happened in 1991 to provoke this distrust? At the start of 1991, after the US government baited Saddam into invading Kuwait, we invaded Iraq using the “weapons of mass destruction” lie causing the death of thousands of Iraqi citizens, poisoning the land with depleted uranium, and killing or wounding thousands of US troops for which we still pay the price. What was the consequence to the political elites for this deception? Nothing! But that’s not all. At the end of 1991, The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States. After this Ukraine gave up their atomic weapons with promises from the US and Russia to respect national boundaries. You can see where that has led us today, as the lessons are: 1) never give up your atomic weapons, and 2) never trust the great powers to tell the truth or act in your best interest. Those in 1991 who protested for peace on the streets of the US were ignored, and the war went ahead. What we can see, however, are the on-going policy failures of the Neo-con establishment which runs both major parties without regard to the will of the people.