Are American "Independent" Voters Truly Independent?

[Copernicus]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

Independents often are portrayed as political free agents with the potential to alleviate the nation’s rigid partisan divisions. Yet the reality is that most independents are not all that “independent” politically. And the small share of Americans who are truly independent – less than 10% of the public has no partisan leaning – stand out for their low level of interest in politics.

Among the public overall, 38% describe themselves as independents, while 31% are Democrats and 26% call themselves Republicans, according to Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2018. These shares have changed only modestly in recent years, but the proportion of independents is higher than it was from 2000-2008, when no more than about a third of the public identified as independents. (For more on partisan identification over time, see the 2018 report “Wide Gender Gap, Growing Educational Divide in Voters’ Party Identification.”)

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

 

[Stevicus]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

I think it's similar to how some people might consider themselves unaffiliated or non-denominational. People might want to remain footloose and fancy-free.

 

[Pogo]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

It sort of comes down to, I may be a registered republican though I would also classify myself as an independant and I am more than willing to vote for someone with a different moniker if they can present a program that I find preferable. I find many democratic positions excessive to my socialist tendencies, but recent republican presidential positions offend seriously my libertarian principles.

 

[Kathryn]

I don't identify myself as an Independent so I can't answer, so I won't - LOL.

 

[Spice]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

I chose the fourth option-unaffiliated. As an unaffiliated I can choose which primary election I prefer to have a voice in. I'm not sure how this aspect works for the Independent option since "Independent" is classified as a political party.

 

[bobhikes]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

I am truly independent. I have only voted 3 times for a party president out of the 10 elections I have been able to vote. I have mostly voted independent. Even on the lesser platforms I have voted independent. When I have no other choice. I will pick the best party candidate for me. If I can't find information then if I like how things are going I'll stay with the current party, if I don't I'll pick the other party

However, people at work and family members claim to be independent but always vote the same party lines. They also vocally support a specific party. Depending on which party they support they label me either liberal or conservative. I am a moderate. So my history aligns with people just claiming to be independent but really aren't.

 

[Copernicus]

I chose the fourth option-unaffiliated. As an unaffiliated I can choose which primary election I prefer to have a voice in. I'm not sure how this aspect works for the Independent option since "Independent" is classified as a political party.

Any fourth option would be included in the third ("Other"), but I appreciate your explanation.

There is a far-right American Independent Party (AIP), which was associated with George Wallace's pro-segregation movement back in the late 1960s, but I know of no current political party called "Independent". It is more a label that people apply to themselves when they claim to be unaffiliated with any major party. What Pew Research appeared to be claiming, based on an analysis of their research results, is that most who adopt that label and are interested in politics tend to be Republican-leaning or Democrat-leaning. That is, they may not always vote straight party-line tickets, but the preponderance of their votes are for candidates of one party or the other, and they advocate for one party or the other in online discussions.

 

[Twilight Hue]

In online discussion forums, Americans are increasingly prone to labeling themselves as "Independent" rather than "Democrat" or "Republican". Sometimes people take that as a sign that people are abandoning the two major political parties, although you would not know that from looking at how they vote.

See this short Pew Research article from 2019:

Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think​

See the rest of the article for more detail. The article seems to suggest that people who regularly write posts about political topics and call themselves "Independents" are not likely to be politically independent.

Do you consider yourself an independent? If so, do you consider yourself to be truly politically independent? Why do you think this trend for more people to claim to be Independent is happening? Thoughts?

It's time for third or even fourth parties to enter the scene as the duopoly obviously is destroying this country.

 

[Copernicus]

I don't identify myself as an Independent so I can't answer, so I won't - LOL.

Any opinions on why there are people who vote reliably for one party or the other but still call themselves "Independent"?

 

[Kathryn]

Any opinions on why there are people who vote reliably for one party or the other but still call themselves "Independent"?

Not really.

 

[Spice]

Any fourth option would be included in the third ("Other"), but I appreciate your explanation.

There is a far-right American Independent Party (AIP), which was associated with George Wallace's pro-segregation movement back in the late 1960s, but I know of no current political party called "Independent". It is more a label that people apply to themselves when they claim to be unaffiliated with any major party. What Pew Research appeared to be claiming, based on an analysis of their research results, is that most who adopt that label and are interested in politics tend to be Republican-leaning or Democrat-leaning. That is, they may not always vote straight party-line tickets, but the preponderance of their votes are for candidates of one party or the other, and they advocate for one party or the other in online discussions.

I'm a centrist with left leanings, primarily because the recent GOP voices have been extreme. Honestly it has been quite some time since the GOP has offered me true possibilities and then that has been more local and state than federal.

 

[Copernicus]

It's time for third or even fourth parties to enter the scene as the duopoly obviously is destroying this country.

I understand the sentiment, and I think that that partly explains the phenomenon. People don't like having only two viable choices in an election. The reason that we have a two-party system, according to Duverger's Law, is that we have plurality voting. That is, majorities are not needed to win an actual election. (See the link for a fuller explanation.) If that is true, it doesn't matter what people want. Plurality voting will ensure that we remain firmly stuck in a two-party duopoly. Perhaps the "Independent" label is a way of expressing frustration with our two-party system.

Note that unaffiliated members of Congress, e.g. Senator Bernie Sanders, still tend to caucus with one party or the other, thus giving Democrats current technical control of the Senate's agenda and committees. Sanders even ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016, so he had to join the party. He left the party after he secured the nomination.

 

[Kathryn]

I understand the sentiment, and I think that that partly explains the phenomenon. People don't like having only two viable choices in an election. The reason that we have a two-party system, according to Duverger's Law, is that we have plurality voting. That is, majorities are not needed to win an actual election. (See the link for a fuller explanation.) If that is true, it doesn't matter what people want. Plurality voting will ensure that we remain firmly stuck in a two-party duopoly. Perhaps the "Independent" label is a way of expressing frustration with our two-party system.

I can see that.

 

[Pogo]

I chose the fourth option-unaffiliated. As an unaffiliated I can choose which primary election I prefer to have a voice in. I'm not sure how this aspect works for the Independent option since "Independent" is classified as a political party.

In the US, you have to pick a party in order to be eligible to vote in a primary. Dems da rulz in most Statz.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

First, I am not American, so technically not really eligible to answer the poll -- but never mind, I did anyway.

As a Canadian, I have always been Liberal in my politics: centre-left, but still Liberal. I have, on a few occasions, voted Conservative (I've never voted NDP, because they're too far left for me) when Liberals needed to be given a time-out to rethink, either provincially or federally. But those occasional votes don't mean that I consider myself independent.

 

[Pogo]

It's time for third or even fourth parties to enter the scene as the duopoly obviously is destroying this country.

So you are for ranked choice voting such that while it may not be the most currently expedient path to getting a new alternative, we can both agree?

 

[crossfire]

I'm a centrist with left leanings, primarily because the recent GOP voices have been extreme. Honestly it has been quite some time since the GOP has offered me true possibilities and then that has been more local and state than federal.

The GOP has been working hard to "primary" reasonable republicans.

 

[Copernicus]

So you are for ranked choice voting such that while it may not be the most currently expedient path to getting a new alternative, we can both agree?

Ranked choice voting partially eliminates plurality voting, so it somewhat favors the formation of alternative political parties. Plurality rule is still preserved in the sense that major party candidates actually win the election, because they put forward those most likely to end up as a second choice.

 

[Copernicus]

In the US, you have to pick a party in order to be eligible to vote in a primary. Dems da rulz in most Statz.

This is not true in open primary states like Washington, where I live. I can switch parties to vote for an individual candidate in any primary, but I can only get one vote for a particular office.

 

[Pogo]

It's time for third or even fourth parties to enter the scene as the duopoly obviously is destroying this country.

So you are for ranked choice voting such that while it may not be the most currently expedient path to getting a new alternative, we can both agree?