50% of Americans now identify as independents, compared to 29% as Democrats and just 21% as Republicans (NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, June 2015*) Some surveys show more than half of young people consider themselves independents!
With support for the two “major” parties so dramatically eroded – the two parties together have only half the people – why do they still control our government? We think the massive dissatisfaction with Republicans and Democrats is an opening for the Green Party to break through.
In 2013, a Gallup poll found 33% percent of Americans cited dissatisfaction with government and elected representatives as the nation's top issue, the highest such percentage in Gallup's poll dating back to 1939.
Furthermore, in 2014 Gallup found that 58% of Americans say a third party is needed because the Republican and Democratic parties "do such a poor job" representing the American people. Since 2007, the majority has agreed.
Why has it been so hard for a third party to break through, despite such support for the idea? It’s our broken political system, especially the fact that, unlike most democratic countries, it’s a “winner take all” system.
Third parties, including the Green Party, have had more success in the many countries where members of the legislature are allocated proportionally to the vote each party receives. This allows third parties to hold seats in the national legislature with vote shares that are significant, but well below 51%. Learn more about what’s broken – and how we can fix it – here.
In spite of “winner take all” and many other obstacles, Greens have been elected and run strong races across the United States, and just need your support to win even more.
Many attempts at reforming one or another of the two “major” parties from the inside have failed. We believe change has to come from outside the Democratic and Republican parties. If you agree, please join us!
* http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/WSJNBCpoll06242015.pdf
Question QF4.
Please note how the question was asked, as described below. People who are described as Independent/lean Dem (or Repub) actually identified as Independent when asked. They were then asked which party they were closer to. But they did not identify as D or R.
If you add the numbers up, you get:
29% Democrat (strong or not very strong)
21% Republican (strong or not very strong)
50% Independent (Independent and Independent/Lean Dem or Repub)
Question Text:
Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or something
else? (IF "DEMOCRAT" OR "REPUBLICAN," ASK:) Would you call yourself a strong (Democrat/Republican)
or not a very strong (Democrat/Republican)? (IF "NOT SURE," CODE AS "NOT VERY STRONG
DEMOCRAT/REPUBLICAN.") (IF "INDEPENDENT," ASK:) Do you think of yourself as closer to the
Republican Party, closer to the Democratic Party, or do you think of yourself as strictly independent? (IF
"NOT SURE," CODE AS "STRICTLY INDEPENDENT.")
Strong Democrat ............................. 19
Not very strong Democrat ............... 10
Independent/lean Democrat ............ 13
Strictly Independent ......................... 15
Independent/lean Republican .......... 15
Not very strong Republican ............. 9
Strong Republican ........................... 12
Other (VOL) ................................... 5
Not sure ......................................... 2
