Record low attachment to Republican and Democrat parties: For 5th consecutive year, 2011-2015, 40% or more Americans reject both major political parties and identify as independents-Gallup Poll, Jan. 2016

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1/11/2016, "Democratic, Republican Identification Near Historical Lows," Gallup, Jeffrey M. Jones

• 42% identify as independents, 29% as Democrats, 26% as Republicans
• Independent identification at least 40% for fifth consecutive year
• Democrats maintain edge over GOP in party identification and leaning"

"In 2015, for the fifth consecutive year, at least four in 10 U.S. adults identified as political independents. The 42% identifying as independents in 2015 was down slightly from the record 43% in 2014. This elevated percentage of political independents leaves Democratic (29%) and Republican (26%) identification at or near recent low points, with the modest Democratic advantage roughly where it has been over the past five years.

 
Since 1988, when Gallup routinely began conducting polls by telephone, there have been many years in which more Americans have identified as independents than as Republicans or independents. But the percentage of independents did not reach 40% until 2011 and it has stayed at or above that level for the past five years.

As a consequence, the percentage of U.S. adults identifying as Democrats is now at the lowest point in the past 27 years, down from the prior low of 30% in 2014....

The percentage of Republicans is now just one point above its recent low of 25% in 2013....

Implications

Americans' attachment to the two major political parties in recent years is arguably the weakest Gallup has ever recorded since the advent of its polls. The percentage of U.S. adults identifying as political independents has recently reached levels never seen before. As a result, a new low of 29% of Americans identify as Democrats, and the percentage of Republican identifiers is on the low end of what Gallup has measured historically....

Even if the parties win back some support, they still will probably be competing among an electorate that has a historically high percentage of voters who do not identify with either major political party. And the lack of strong attachment to the parties could make candidate-specific factors, as opposed to party loyalty, a greater consideration for voters in choosing a president in this year's election than they have been in past elections."...chart above from Gallup





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