Special Poll
Growing Liberal Identification on Social Issues in America
A recent Gallup poll indicates that more Americans are now identifying with liberal views on social issues compared to past years.
Currently, those who consider themselves liberal (33%) are almost equal in number to those who identify as conservative (32%) or moderate (32%) as the country approaches what is expected to be a closely contested presidential election in November. Over the past 20 years, Americans have increasingly adopted more liberal stances on social issues.
This shift is primarily driven by Democrats, according to Gallup’s findings. The proportion of Democrats with liberal views has surged by 30 points since 2004, rising from 39% to 69% by 2024. In contrast, Republicans and independents have not shown a similar trend toward liberalism.
On economic issues, Democrats have also become more liberal, with their numbers nearly doubling. Despite this, the majority of Americans still identify as fiscally conservative (39%) or moderate (35%), while only about 23% consider themselves liberal on financial matters. The peak of liberal economic identification was in 2021, with 25% of Americans identifying as such, and this percentage has remained above 20% over the past five years.
During former President Barack Obama’s first term, fiscally conservative views were notably high. From 2009 to 2012, around 50% of Americans considered themselves economically conservative, with a peak of 51% in 2010, coinciding with the rise of the Tea Party.
Over time, Republicans have become more conservative on both social and economic issues, showing a decrease in moderate views, particularly on economic matters. As in 2004, few Republicans identify as liberal on either type of issue.
The growing liberal views among Democrats have outpaced the conservative shift among Republicans. While the ideological makeup of political independents has remained stable, the liberalization of Democratic views has impacted the national averages on social and economic issues.
Overall, Americans’ views on economic matters continue to lean more conservative than liberal. However, following significant changes in LGBTQ+ rights, marijuana legalization in many states, and the recent Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, the nation is now less conservative on social issues. Equal proportions of Americans now identify as liberal, moderate, and conservative on social matters.