Thus far in 2009, 40% of Americans interviewed in national Gallup Poll surveys describe their political views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. This represents a slight increase for conservatism in the U.S. since 2008, returning it to a level last seen in 2004. The 21% calling themselves liberal is in line with findings throughout this decade, but is up from the 1990s. Full Story »
Posted by Walter Cox
The polling is on labels, and there is much fuzziness in labels. If a republican is radically in favor of big business, war for empire, and unlimited global warming, is that a conservative view? If a democrat is in favor of defending the constitution, the rule of law, and a military only for defense, is that a conservative? Polling on issues finds people much more aligned with progressive views than their labels might indicate, and the youth seem to be seeing the dissonance. Also the poll used "liberal" which has been demonized by right wingers for decades, instead of the more palatable "progressive."
The correlation between where voters get their selected news and views and how they self identify would perhaps inform of the misinformed who get only Fox news and the Wall Street Journal. Label polls may only reflect the effectiveness of disinformation.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. More »
A wonderful portrait of the political American. Every reader will recognize himself or herself somewhere in this analysis. What stands out especially is how middle-of-the-road Americans are politically, with very few self-identifying as "very liberal" or "very conservative." This is quite in contrast to the European political landscape, with its many far-left and far-right parties.
Retrieving Comments
