34% in the U.S. identify as conservative, down from 40% in February

[Demovictory9]

https://news.gallup.com/poll/316094/conservatism-down-start-2020.aspx

34% in the U.S. identify as conservative, down from 40% in February
Conservatism slides most among upper-income and middle-aged adults
Adults under 35 more likely to identify as liberal than conservative

In January and February, an average of 40% of Americans identified as politically conservative. This was up from an average of 37% in 2019 and was tied for the highest rate of conservatism Gallup had recorded in the past six years. This coincided with President Donald Trump being acquitted of impeachment charges. It also came amidst strongly positive economic signals in the form of near-record-low unemployment and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching record highs.

Nevertheless, the percentage of Americans identifying as conservative reverted to an average 37% in March and April as the coronavirus pandemic emerged. It fell further to 34% in May and June as the pandemic has worn on, Trump's job approval rating has tumbled, and the racial justice movement emerged as a national focus following the death of George Floyd.

Meanwhile, the percentages identifying as liberal increased from an average of 22% in January/February to 26% in May/June.

Gallup measures Americans' ideology by asking respondents to describe their overall political views as either very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal or very liberal.

The recent shifts in how Americans conceive of their political views mirror the declin

[Sherman A1]

1. Improving

Even being to the left of Bernie Sanders, I have no problem with folks being conservative, I just wish that the party which allegedly represents the conservative view point wasn’t hijacked by a bunch of monied interests that live by the motto “the end justifies, the means.”

[Victor_c3]

11. I'm with ya n/t

[beachbumbob]

2. american conservatism died a longtime ago

[JHB]

18. ...or showed its true colors...

...which has only passing acquaintance with its "small government", "free markets" advertising.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Gallup is always different than other firms regarding ideology

They move all over the place while other studies are stable. I've never fully understood it but decades ago I learned to devalue it. That's why I always quote exit poll numbers or Pew numbers here and not Gallup.

For example, Gallup pretends this shifted up, down and all around. Meanwhile their current number is 34% conservatives to 26% liberals. The 2016 exit poll was 35% conservatives and 26% liberals. The 2018 House national exit poll was 36% conservatives and 27% liberals.

The 8% gap is what I am hoping for this year. When I began studying this category in 1992 the gap was typically 13% when looking back to '80s surveys. It slowly dropped to 12, then 11, then 10. Finally it dropped to 9% in the 2016 exit poll. I was amazed. I immediately posted it here in that front page option we had when the site was down for so long after election night.

If it drops to an 8% gap this year I don't see how Biden can lose.

[Jamastiene]

4. When it is down to 0 percent conservative, 50 percent or more liberal, and

a mixture of left leaning moderates for the other 50 percent, then I'll be happy. Until then, I despise having to share this planet, this sick, abused, raped, pillaged, and plundered planet with the conservatives who did all the abusing, raping, pillaging, and plundering to this planet. We ALL should resent and despise them for the destructive, selfish, disease carrying, disgusting pieces of shit that they are.

Look at it this way. The Trump era started out with Trump calling Mexicans rapists and disease carrying filth. Now, Americans are not allowed in so many countries, because we are the disgusting rapists and disease carrying filth, because of conservatives showing their asses and spreading this pandemic like they have, just to be selfish jerks. Bet they put masks on to do woodworking or painting with no problems. Tell them they can no longer have masks for that type of stuff and watch them show their asses over WANTING masks all of a sudden. Why should their childish, selfish actions cause the rest of us to be seen as disease carrying filth when we are not like them at all?

[Kaiserguy]

5. I hope I live to see this happen

K&R

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Once conservatives begin to examine their values they realize they're not very conservative at all

[Laelth]

7. That has been my experience.

The word, conservative, has a positive valence while the word, liberal, has a negative one. The fact is that a majority of Americans support liberal policy, but they’re afraid to identify as liberals ... because “liberal” just isn’t cool enough (and definitely not masculine enough for some people).

-Laelth

[lagomorph777]

8. That is an astonishing shift. Trump is doing what we have never been able to do:

He is opening America's eyes.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Except there wasn't an astonishing shift

I guarantee if a national election had been held in February it would have been the same breakdown as always, with roughly 35% conservatives and 26% liberals.

These things do not bounce around as Gallup tries to pretend. There has never been anything close to an 18% gap in that category in recent history.

It's the reason I don't mind laughing at certain polls. I've been doing this long enough to know the parameters of normalcy. They don't float around like melted butter.

[CrispyQ]

9. Half of America has been brain washed.

They believe that liberal is a dirty word & they believe that the Republican party is conservative.

[Bucky]

17. I'm proud to say my brain is as dirty as the day I turned 13

Never washed it. Never will

[greenjar_01]

12. Either a statistical anomaly, or an absolute collapse of a brand

6% in that timeframe is a catastrophic decline in public regard.

[Awsi Dooger]

13. A huge part of this is inefficient distribution

That term is mentioned frequently but it really stands out as I've been following these numbers since 1992. California has soared from 25% liberals in 2008 to 37% in 2016. New York has vaulted from 27% liberals to 35% liberals. Given the populations in those states that is a huge raw number of people.

Texas is interesting because the state is evolving based on transplants as well as growing and participating Hispanic population. I've mentioned several times recently that the Texas conservative base really isn't shrinking that much but the percentage of self-identified liberals went from 18% in a June 2016 poll by Texas Politics Project to 33% in a June 2020 poll by the same company. I am beyond dubious that anything close to 33% will hold up. If we could get Texas to 25% liberals in the 2020 exit poll I would be thrilled. For reference, it was 20% in 2016 then 22% in 2018. That rise to 22% was excellent indication because midterms are historically older and more conservative.

That's why we lost both races in Florida 2018. The electorate per norm was older and more conservative, rising from 35% conservatives in 2016 to 39% in 2018. The geniuses who nominated Andrew Gillum instead of sure-winner Gwen Graham were remarkably ignorant toward that type of thing.

Texas and Arizona are the two most intriguing states from an ideological perspective. Arizona vaulted from 19% liberals in 2012 to 27% in 2016. I have never seen a 40% rise like than in one cycle and wouldn't have believed it was possible. Like Texas the conservatives in Arizona really aren't dropping as much as liberals rising. We really need both to happen.

It is becoming a steadily more polarized nation. When I started following this in 1992 the combined liberals and conservatives would generally be 52-55% of the electorate. Now it is more like 60-65% and trending upward. I won't be surprised if it threatens 70% sometime soon. Arizona was already 68% (41-27) in 2016.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. Make them recognize themselves!! Call them selfish and greedy. Then walk away.

This will make them uncomfortable and will compute with what their families have said, and how they view their families.

Change happens with discomfort and self-loathing.

[certainot]

15. obviously liberal media BS, limbaugh tells 20 mil every few days, when he's not getting

treatment for lung cancer he used to declare regularly was not caused by smoking, that the majority of americans are conservatives and want what trump wants

[SWBTATTReg]

16. So called conservatives have dirtied the word 'conservative' to the point that it will ...

be forever scorned and those that latch onto this word and call themselves 'conservatives' will be forever mocked and laughed at.

What in the hell are they 'conservative' about even? W/ the largest deficits ever, certainly not the federal deficit. Certainly not government spending (the $700+ billion being spent on the military still, beating the next 8 or so Countries in the world combined in military spending still), certainly not in restraining unlawful edicts by governmental agencies in cracking down on protesters, certainly not restraining the $500 billion slush fund given to rump and cronies to award to their businesses of choice (and reporting on who gets this money is hushed up for six months).

You could go on and on.

So called conservatives have forever ruined whatever future they have in this Country.

[czarjak]

19. Conservative: Someone resistant to change. (Even when change is here)

[rpannier]

20. People change their minds or did they die?

[WyLoochka]

21. Barry Goldwater frightened people

By being too conservative and lost in an historic landslide.in 1964.

It was that B grade television narrator, Reagan, who created a sea change, not really due to policy, but owing more to his "sunny" disposition, nice sounding voice and head that he held tilted up and slightly cocked to the side. He changed the fear people had of conservatism to acceptance of him as a person, then the conservative policy propaganda machine was cranked up and started taking hold of people's minds.

Trump hooked people with an act too, as we know - that die hard 30%. But he is a wild radical, not a conservative.

[greytdemocrat]

22. Sorry

I bet it's higher. A lot higher.

I have talked to a LOT of people who
have told me they have no intention of
telling any pollster anything. Several have
said they will intentionally lie.