This is the biggest change since 1991, when the institute regularly measures party support in the United States, Gallup said. 49 percent of Americans considered themselves Democrats in the first quarter of last year, but that rate dropped to 42 percent in the last quarter. The proportion of Republican respondents rose from 40 percent to 47 percent during the same period.
The situation thus contrasts with the fact that the difference between the two parties is still huge, and at the beginning of 2021 Democrats’ support reached a level not seen in nearly a decade, so there was room to fall.
According to Gallup research, the change in Americans’ political affiliation followed a similar pattern to the popularity of former Republican President Donald Trump and Joe Biden in 2021. As they wrote, Biden took office with “strong approval” in January 2021, but his support has steadily declined, in part due to rising numbers Cases of the coronavirus epidemic, the tragic military withdrawal in Afghanistan, and high inflation. In contrast, after the January 6 Capitol riots, Trump started 2021 with low support, but by the end of the year, acceptance had improved.
The picture is accurate if we look at last month’s results, not the quarterly: Gallup’s latest estimate in December shows support for the bipartisan approach, with 46 percent of respondents saying they are Republicans and 44 percent Democrats.
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