Results of a new Gallup survey could be the beginnings of a massive political ideology shift in the upcoming 2026 midterms AND the 2028 presidential election.
According to the latest poll, Americans are increasingly rejecting the two major political parties with just under half, 45%, of U.S. adults now identifying as independents.
This is a shocking turn from 20 years ago, when closer to 33% of Americans said they didn’t identify with the Democrats or Republicans.
According to Gallup’s analysis, the results appear to be driven by “unhappiness” with the party in power.
This shift could be a sign of good things for Democrats in this year’s midterm elections, but doesn’t historically guarantee anything.
In the past, Independents have tended to gravitate toward the Democrats when asked which party they lean toward, Gallup found. But the latest poll still found that there’s not a seismic shift towards any Independents leaning Democrat.
The poll suggests that the Democrats’ gains are probably more related to independents’ increasingly sour views of President Donald Trump.
Trump’s approval among independents has fallen steadily over the year, while Democrats’ favorability remains historically low.
Younger people, in particular, are rejecting the parties at much higher rates than older generations. More than half of Gen Z and millennials identify as political independents, while a majority of older generations side with a party.
This is a shift from past results when more young adults identified with the Democrats or the Republicans. And it’s part of the reason frequent, dramatic swings in political power may become increasingly normal.
Independents have long been the largest political group in the U.S., and their numbers have increased over the last 15 years. But often, they’re more inclined to side with one of the parties over the other.
Younger Americans are driving the recent rise in U.S. adults identifying as independents.
The Gallup polling found majorities of Gen Z and millennial adults — who were born between 1981 and 2007 — now identify as independents.