Those 18 and 19 years of age, many of whom may still be living at home, are slightly more likely to identify with or lean toward one of the two major parties than those between 20 and 30 years of age. There is no sign of a pending reduction in Democratic strength among even the very youngest adult Americans. A Gallup report on 2009 data by age showed broadly similar patterns, although the overall population at that point was significantly more Democratic in orientation. The 2013-2014 data analyzed here allow for a more fine-grained analysis of current party affiliation at each individual age. These findings are based on more than 267,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup's Daily tracking from January 2013 through June 2014, using Gallup's standard party identification question: "In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent?" Those who initially identify as independents are subsequently asked if they lean toward either party, and the combined party preferences, including "leaners," are presented in the first graph.Ī Gallup analysis from earlier this year demonstrated how different age groups have, over time, shifted in their political party preferences. Additionally, while Democrats have a decided identification advantage among those younger than 40, it is hardly monolithic, given that more than 30% of the group identifies with or leans toward the Republican Party. This, in turn, reflects the political reality that this group is less likely than older age groups to vote. While Democrats enjoy a decided advantage in partisan identification among today's young adults, the higher percentages who don't identify with or even lean toward a party are symptomatic of young Americans' distance from the political system. These results represent both good news and bad news for Democrats. These are in fact the only ages - across the entire age spectrum - at which Democrats hold a 10-point or higher advantage. At the same time, among those who do identify with or lean toward one of the two major parties, there is a double-digit Democratic advantage among those at each age point from 18 to 35. PRINCETON, NJ - Young Americans in their 20s and 30s today share two important political characteristics - they are the most likely of any age group to eschew identification with either party, and, among those who do have a political identity, they are the most likely, along with older baby boomers, to tilt toward the Democratic Party.Īmericans aged 18 to 40 are least likely to identify with a party or even lean toward one, with almost one out of five falling into that category.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |