Conservatives Outnumber Moderates, Liberals, Poll Shows

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Polling

(CBS/AP)

The nation is becoming more partisan, Gallup poll trends from the past decade show, with self-identified conservatives outnumbering both moderates and liberals for the first time since 2004.

Still, fewer than 41 percent of Americans identify as Republican or Republican-leaning -- eight points below the declining percentage of Americans who identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning.

An aggregate of 21 Gallup and USA Today/ Gallup polls from 2009 show that 40 percent of Americans call themselves conservative, while 36 percent identify as moderate and 21 percent identify as liberal. In 2008, by contrast, moderates matched conservatives at 37 percent while 22 percent called themselves liberal.

The percentage of Americans identifying as either conservative or liberal has crept up over the past decade, Gallup concludes, while the percentage of moderates has declined.

Though the percentage of conservatives jumped three points in 2009, the percentage of Americans who identify with the Republican party remained statistically the same in 2009 -- at 40.7 percent -- as in the previous year. The percentage of self-identified Republicans has declined in Gallup polls since 2004.

More Americans -- 49 percent -- said they were Democrats or Democratic-leaning. However, 2009 was the first time since 2005 that fewer than half of Americans called themselves Democrats. Additionally, the percentage of Democrats steadily declined over the course of 2009.

As many as 36.6 percent of Americans in 2009 said they were independents. The only other year this decade with that many self-identified independents was 2007, when 38.6 percent of Americans called themselves independent.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by erb0087 January 10, 2010 11:40 AM EST: As noted elsewhere by a brilliant and witty poster:

"Liberals + Moderates = 57%, vrs. 40% Conservative.

Obama won in 2008 with 53% of the popular vote.

Today, Gallup shows 52% approving Obama, 41% disapproving. (*)

The Conservative champagne bottles have been opened a little prematurely."

(*) http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx; Reply to this comment


by erb0087 January 10, 2010 11:23 AM EST: "Conservatives Outnumber Moderates, Liberals, Poll Shows"

====================================

Over at another thread a poster enthused, "A majority of people in this country now call themselves conservatives."

The headline is misleading. Moderates and liberals, taken together, are almost 60% of those surveyed.

Also, what is so paradoxical about "40% call themselves conservatives" and "still, fewer than 41 percent of Americans identify as Republican or Republican-leaning" ?

That doesn't sound inconsistent. It just means there aren't a whole lot of Moderates in the GOP camp.; Reply to this comment


by flyinglibertarian January 7, 2010 5:43 PM EST: We need a strong national third political party, and more importantly, we need runoff elections. The farce of political machinery with which we are currently patronized is increasingly warped caricature of any actual US citizen constituency.; Reply to this comment


by revolruf January 7, 2010 2:55 PM EST: wow, sorry about the reposts. My system glitched for a minute; Reply to this comment

by revolruf January 7, 2010 2:53 PM EST

right on middleclass.We need to get back together on the blogs and e-mails. It worked very well. A lot of moderates I know would be willing to negotiate on some liberal ideas. They just need to hear the facts and not listen to fear mongers on the right. We're on the right path. We've got more strength now than we ever had and it will only get stronger. Ups and downs in the numbers are normal. Communication will keep us at the head of the game. I'm actually Pacific Green Party but vote to My immediate right (which is Democrat). With work the center will continue shifting left. (And yes, Green is socialist)

Reply to this comment


by Lifeson2112 January 7, 2010 5:38 PM EST: If you embrace the Socialist ideaology why change our country? There are plenty of countries you can go to and live out your Socialist dreams. America wasn't founded on those ideals. There is no reason to try and change it. Just go where Socialism already exists and leave us alone.


by revolruf January 7, 2010 2:52 PM EST: right on middlclass.We need to get back together on the blogs and e-mails. It worked very well. A lot of moderates I know would be willing to negotiate on some liberal ideas. They just need to hear the facts and not listen to fear mongers on the right. We're on the right path. We've got more strength now than we ever had and it will only get stronger. Ups and downs in the numbers are normal. Communication will keep us at the head of the game. I'm actually Pacific Green Party but vote to My immediate right (which is Democrat). With work the center will continue shifting left. (And yes, Green is socialist); Reply to this comment


by revolruf January 7, 2010 2:51 PM EST: right on middlclass.We need to get back together on the blogs and e-mails. It worked very well. A lot of moderates I know would be willing to negotiate on some liberal ideas. They just need to hear the facts and not listen to fear mongers on the right. We're on the right path. We've got more strength now than we ever had and it will only get stronger. Ups and downs in the numbers are normal. Communication will keep us at the head of the game. I'm actually Pacific Green Party but vote to My immediate right (which is Democrat). With work the center will continue shifting left. (And yes, Green is socialist); Reply to this comment


by infantryman1968 January 7, 2010 1:55 PM EST: Conservatives Outnumber Moderates, Liberals, Poll Shows

LOL

Who didnt know this?; Reply to this comment

by midlclass January 7, 2010 1:43 PM EST

I guess the good thing about this is that a total of 58% are not republican'ts. the party of NO will take awhile to rebuild itself. what the liberals need to do is keep in touch and work with the moderate's. this is probably easier for them to do than the repubs as liberals are more inclined to work together and compromise than the republicans are.

Reply to this comment


by cidaia January 7, 2010 2:14 PM EST: Just remember: every time you don't like what those moderates say, call them a "bigot" and tell them how stupid everyone else is, and how smart you are. They will be grateful for your moral correction, and glad to know that you're really a lot smarter than they are.

When they get nasty because you don't care about the concerns that are a major pressure on their life, show them the registered list of People Whose Rights Matter, If that doesn't shut them up, just call them bitter, gun-toting religious nuts.

Hey, it worked for Obama.

Good luck.