{"id":641276,"date":"2026-10-02T15:30:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=641276"},"modified":"2026-10-02T15:30:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:30:49","slug":"why-americans-identify-as-republicans-and-democrats-and-why-they-dont","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/10\/02\/why-americans-identify-as-republicans-and-democrats-and-why-they-dont\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Americans Identify as Republicans and Democrats \u2013 and Why They Don\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A majority of Americans consider themselves either Republicans or Democrats. Most say they identify this way because they view their own party\u2019s policies as good for the country and the other party\u2019s policies as harmful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But many Americans don\u2019t<\/em> consider themselves Republicans or Democrats. Instead, these Americans identify as independents (or with some other party) and many \u201clean\u201d toward one of the two major parties. For these Americans, opposition to the other party\u2019s policies is more of a motivating factor than support for the policies of the party they lean toward<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center analysis examines the reasons partisans \u2013 U.S. adults who identify as Republicans and Democrats \u2013 give for their party affiliation. It also looks at \u201cleaners\u201d \u2013 people who don\u2019t identify with one of the two major parties but say they lean toward one of the parties \u2013 and the reasons they lean toward the party they choose, and the reasons they decline to identify with that party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center conducts research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. We have studied Americans\u2019 views of the parties for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a> and our politics research<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We surveyed 9,750 U.S. adults from May 26 to June 1, 2026.\u00a0 Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel. The survey reflects the views of all U.S. adults. Here are the\u00a0questions used for this analysis<\/a>, along with responses<\/a>\u00a0and the survey\u00a0methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

A Pew Research Center survey of 9,750 U.S. adults, conducted from May 26 to June 1, finds:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why do \u2018leaners\u2019 lean toward one party? It\u2019s often because they oppose the other party\u2019s policies<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Note: Partisans do not include those who lean to each party. Leaners are those who do not identify as Republican or Democrat (identifying as independent or with another party) and lean toward either the Republican or Democratic Party.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 26-June 1, 2026.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t