Number Of Americans Who Identify As Political Independents Sees Largest Increase Ever

Polls that were undertaken by polling organisation Gallup have produced some rather worrying signs for both major political parties in America and good news for smaller, lesser known parties. The polls, which were published in January 2018, show that the number of Americans who indentify as Independents has seen its largest ever increase a year out of a presidential election.

As you can see pictured above, the number of Independents has been increasing sharply since Gallup's recording began pre-1989, and very rarely dipping below the numbers of Democrats or Republicans. Gallup also mentions how decreases in Independents is usually a result of people choosing to back the candidate with either a (D) or (R) next to their name as they vote for someone that resembles their ideas as closely as possible. The large increase in Independents also spells bad news for both parties, however.

Ever since Barack Obama's historical 2008 victory, the number of American Independents has been an ever increasing force, starting at roughly 35% of Americans in 2008, but now sits at 42% as of 2017. Now we should couple this with the popularity ratings of both Democrats and Republicans.

In 2008 the Democratic Party had a rather impressive popularity rating of 56% at their peak, meanwhile the Republican approval rating peaked in at 47% in the months prior to the election, and surprisingly saw a considerable drop as election night came around, with a 36% approval rating and a 61% disapproval rating, being that unpopular during an election cycle is actually pretty impressive.

As Obama made history as the first black president, he also oversaw vast losses in the total number of seats that were held by the Democrats, over 1000 in fact, which allowed the Republicans to take control of both the House and the Senate, showing that the popularity of the Democratic Party and their new "Third Way, let's appeal to everyone" type mentality and the sharp increase in the number of people who claim to be independent are interlinked in many ways.

All of the aforementioned statistics about both parties are what has specifically awakened populist politics within America and given rise to both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, who has of course gone on to become President. Nearly two years into the Trump presidency, we can now see how Trump used fake right-wing populism to win the White House, as he has gone back on so many of his election promises, Mexico paying for the border wall is the one that sticks out the most.

In my worthless opinion, the main reason behind the increase in Independents and the unpopularity of the two major political parties is there reluctance to change. For example: In late 2017, half of American voters supported a Single Payer healthcare system, marijuana legalisation reached 64%, the highest ever recorded, while 97% of Americans support a universal background check for gun buyers, but due to the ineptitude of the Democratic Party, many people, mainly millenials, are simply turned off to the idea that the Democratic Party is going to help them in any way, hence the increase of Independents and the emergence of Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and other left-wing figures in American politics.