Know Your Political Typology

The Pew Research Group, every few years, gathers information on the continuing evolution of political blocs (groupings, not formal parties) in USA.  In their own words,

With the economy still struggling and the nation involved in multiple military operations overseas, the public’s political mood is fractious. In this environment, many political attitudes have become more doctrinaire at both ends of the ideological spectrum, a polarization that reflects the current atmosphere in Washington.

Yet at the same time, a growing number of Americans are choosing not to identify with either political party, and the center of the political spectrum is increasingly diverse. Rather than being moderate, many of these independents hold extremely strong ideological positions on issues such as the role of government, immigration, the environment and social issues. But they combine these views in ways that defy liberal or conservative orthodoxy.

Since their last poll in 2005, there are fewer people affiliating themselves with the Republican Party. Those who remain, fall into two sub-groups, the Staunch Conservative and the Main-Street Republican.  No longer do you find people who describe themselves as "Republican because I am..." -- ... either socially conservative or pro-Business.  Now, the farthest right wing group (Staunch Conservatives) is dominated by socially conservative, economically conservative, and pro-business, desiring smaller government.  The remainder of the party is mostly that, but with no agreement on which issues they disagree on -- certainly, they do not fall into the "old-fashioned" conservative dividing lines of a decade ago.

There are fewer people affiliating themselves with the Republicans now than in 2005, but the Democrats haven't picked them up. Instead, the ideologically "central" group has grown (from 30% to 37%, and from two subgroups to three), affiliating themselves under the name of "Independent".  And there are always the growing numbers of Disaffecteds and Bystanders (the latter largely under 25 years old).

This doesn't come as surprising news. The extremes in our country have gotten so extreme, it's not surprising to find more people in the middle.  I wonder about the 2012 Presidential race, just starting forward in first gear.  I haven't heard a peep from an Independent runner yet -- I suppose any serious candidate can sit by for a few months and let the Democrats play their hand badly (as they so often do) and the Republicans continue to shoot down their own hunting dogs.

I recommend the site for dozens of intriguing interactive demographic charts.  I also urge you to take their 20-question Typology Test, too, which will categorize you (by your answers) into one of the types -- and enter your answer in the poll I've set up on the left.  I'm curious to see if I'm the only one of my type among the few readers of this blog, or if we're all spread out. (Non-Americans please take it too, but I don't know that your true type will fit with the rest of us.)

I found the test to be un-nuanced, yet they have a pretty good distribution of answers, so -- with that proof in the pudding, there's more nuance there than I see.

Oh, by the way, I end up anchoring the types as a Solid Liberal (a bit of a surprise to me -- I expected to be a Post-Modern, or even a Disaffected). This makes me sad, because I think my views are pretty moderate by the standards I grew up with, a few decades ago.  This country has shifted so far right, that centrist is now the far left!


Oops: forgot the links.

Report of the findings from 2011 (Pew Research Group)
Report of the findings from 2005 (Pew Research Group)
The Political Typology Quiz 2011