President Joe Biden is facing historically low approval ratings among independents, a trend that threatens Democrats in November’s midterm elections if he can’t reverse it by then. Although the number of truly independent swing voters has declined over the past half century, they can still provide the margin between electoral […] Read more »
The New Politics of Evasion: How Ignoring Swing Voters Could Reopen the Door for Donald Trump and Threaten American Democracy
In 1989, in the wake of the Democratic Party’s third consecutive presidential defeat, we offered our thoughts for the party’s recovery and renewal. Our diagnosis was blunt. “Too many Americans,” we wrote, “have come to see the party as inattentive to their economic interests, indifferent if not hostile to their […] Read more »
Midterm voters have a way of reminding presidents what to focus on
… The challenge for all incoming presidents is to balance who gave them the nomination and the larger, less partisan electorate that made them president. This dynamic also impacts the priority of issues. Obama failed to understand that crucial point. … As it was in 2008, the economy is the […] Read more »
‘Hell Hath No Fury Like a Voter Scorned’: What 14 Swing Voters Have to Say
A year into the Biden administration, most of us can agree on one thing: The United States remains a deeply divided nation, with polarizing opinions on all sides. But what about the voices from the middle, the independents? Swing voters are arguably one of the most consequential groups for the […] Read more »
Biden approval has sunk most with young Americans and independents
While President Biden’s rating decline over the past year has been broad-based, spanning both political and demographic lines, it has been especially pronounced among younger people and independents. Both groups have voted decisively Democratic in recent years — their continued frustration or disappointment would make the party’s tough path to […] Read more »
U.S. Political Ideology Steady; Conservatives, Moderates Tie
The way Americans identify themselves ideologically was unchanged in 2021, continuing the close division that has persisted in recent years between those describing themselves as either conservative or moderate, while a smaller share identifies as liberal. On average last year, 37% of Americans described their political views as moderate, 36% […] Read more »