A fascinating Pew Research report on political party affiliation trends finds that 36% of Americans say they are independents, 35% are Democrats, while just 23% are Republicans.
The proportion of independents now equals its highest level in 70 years.
In contrast, the professed affiliation with the Republican party "is the lowest in at least a quarter century. Moreover, on nearly every dimension the Republican Party is at a low ebb -- from image, to morale, to demographic vitality."
The overall gap between the two parties in political values "has hit another new high, with widening differences emerging over the government's overall performance and its responsibilities to the poor. In the wake of the election, Republicans have swung to a much more critical view of government while more Democrats take a positive view than at any previous point in the 22-year history of this study."
As to be expected, the political values of independents "are mixed and run counter to orthodox liberal and conservative thinking about government. Over the past two years, both Republicans and independents have become more wary of expanding the social safety net. However, most independents join with most Democrats in saying that a free market economy needs government regulation to best serve the public interest... But independents continue to be much closer to Democrats than to Republicans with respect to social values, religiosity and beliefs about national security."
Mark Blumenthal has more analysis focusing on the increasing average age of Republicans and the decline in social conservatism among young people.
