Christian Smith
- 69% of Democrats identify as liberal
- 32% of Americans consider themselves conservative
- Republicans and Independents have not changed their thinking
Updated:
FILE-Abortion rights protesters attend a rally at the Texas Capitol, Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Austin, Texas. Photo/Eric Gay, file)
(NewsNation) – More Americans are identifying as having liberal views on social issues than in recent years, according to data released by a recent Gallup poll.
While those who consider themselves liberal (33%) remain close to those who identify as conservative (32%) or moderate (32%) heading into what is expected to be a closely contested presidential election in November, Americans have become increasingly liberals when it comes to social issues over the past 20 years, polls show.
As expected, the push to lean further left is driven by Democrats, as neither Republicans nor independents have moved to be more liberal, the Gallup poll found. However, since 2004, the number of Democrats who express more liberal opinions has grown by 30 points, jumping from 39% of those who consider themselves liberal in 2004, to 69% in 2024, the survey shows.
Democrats have become increasingly liberal on economic issues as the rate has nearly doubled, the data shows. Most Americans identify as being fiscally conservative (39%) or moderate (35%), while only about 23% of Americans consider themselves liberal when it comes to financial matters, according to Gallup.
Gallup data shows that the peak of liberal economic identification occurred in 2021, when 25% of Americans identified in that category. However, the percentage in this group has exceeded 20% in each of the last five years.
Gallup reports that fiscally conservative views were particularly high during former President Barack Obama’s first term. From 2009 to 2012, about 50% of Americans considered themselves economically conservative, including 51% of U.S. residents who placed themselves in that category in 2010, when the Tea Party swept the congressional races.
Republicans have become more conservative on social and especially economic issues over time, polls have revealed. They are slightly less moderate than in the past on social issues and are now half as likely to express moderate views on the economy compared to 2004.
As was the case in 2004, few Republicans identify as liberal on any issue.
However, the growth of liberal views among Democrats has outpaced that of conservative views among Republicans. As the ideological composition of political independents has remained stable, the liberalization of Democratic views has altered national averages on social and economic issues, Gallup reported.
Americans’ views on economic issues are still more conservative than liberal, despite a growing number of Americans who identify as economically liberal.
However, following historic changes to LGBTQ+ rights, the legalization of marijuana across much of the United States and the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, the nation is now less conservative than in the past on social issues, with equal parts identifying as liberal, moderate, and conservative.
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