43% of Americans identified as independents.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: It looks like the grand old bipartisan system may need to get a little more flexible.
As reported by The American Bazaar last week, it’s become readily apparent that Americans are not too pleased with their government, politicians, and Congress specifically. After all, it is the first time in the history of Gallup polling that dissatisfaction with the government has been at the forefront of the collective American consciousness.
Consequently, the people’s disdain is translating to more party disaffiliations than ever. New Gallup research indicates the number of self-described “independents” is at an all time high.
“An average of 43 percent of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014,” analyst Jeffrey M. Jones told The Washington Times. He also confirmed the number as the highest since Gallup started tracking independent affiliation 27 years ago.
“Dissatisfaction with government has emerged as one of the most important problems facing the country, according to Americans. This is likely due to the partisan gridlock that has come from divided party control of the federal government. Trust in the government to handle problems more generally is the lowest Gallup has measured to date, and Americans’ favorable ratings of both parties are at or near historical lows,” Jones wrote on the Gallup website.
While the donkey and elephant’s traditional political clout has not waned despite the rise of the independent, the United States could be in for even more significant division in the near future.
“Given historical trends, 2015 could bring a new record, as the percentage identifying as independents typically increases in the year before a presidential election,” according to Jones.
Currently, 30 percent of the respondents are Democrats and 26 percent are Republicans; the findings are based on 15 polls of 16,500 people conducted throughout 2014.