Pew Research Center recently unveiled a new political typology system to describe the nuanced political views of U.S. adults more accurately. The new system seeks to transcend the traditional right-left/conservative-liberal spectrum, creating a grid with nine distinct political categories. These categories consist of the following:
Leftward Progressives have consistently liberal positions in virtually every political issue. They believe in an expanded social safety net for those on the margins of society and support expanding the number of viable political parties in the U.S. They tend to be younger and economically populist.
Loyal Liberals have liberal positions across most political issues, and are committed to progressive institutions, especially the Democratic Party. They are more engaged with the news and less cynical than their younger, Leftward Progressive counterparts.
The Left-Out Left have a mix of liberal and moderate positions on most issues. They are largely working class, and racially and ethnically diverse. They have more moderate views on gender, sexuality, and immigration than other liberals.
Those in the Order and Opportunity Left have more progressive attitudes toward the economy. However, their concerns about immigration, safety, and crime make them more politically moderate, with around a quarter of them identifying with the Republican Party. They are optimistic about the opportunities afforded by capitalism, even if they have not benefited from them.
Although the Tuned-Out Middle may identify with either of the major political parties, they are largely disconnected from politics altogether. They skew younger, are most negatively affected by challenging economic conditions, and are less likely to be socially progressive than they are to support liberal fiscal policies.
The Pragmatic and Polite Right are mostly conservative on issues around gender and sexuality, slightly more moderate on issues around race, and have a pragmatic view of immigration. Regarding foreign policy, they embrace close ties with traditional U.S. allies. Their tone is far more moderate and subdued than that of many conservative counterparts.
The Unconventional Right consists of hardliners on immigration enforcement. However, they are more likely to support reaching across the aisle for solutions than others who share their views. They are only somewhat politically engaged, and are younger and less religious than others who identify with the Republican Party.
Faith First Conservatives hold very conservative views across the political spectrum, including vocal opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion access. They largely identify as Christian, believe in small government, and are closely aligned with Donald Trump.
Like their Faith First Conservative counterparts, those in the No Apologies Right are staunch supporters of Donald Trump. They are marked by more aggressive political rhetoric. They oppose traditional, alliance-based foreign policy, as well as DEI programs. They are strong supporters of the Trump administration’s immigrant deportation efforts and exhibit strong suspicion of experts and legacy media.
More information on the process by which Pew Research created this typology can be found here. Pew has also created a tool to help readers determine where they fall within the new typology, which can be accessed here.
Pew compiled data from a 2025 survey to determine that the U.S. electorate is broken down among these new typology categories at the following rates:
(Pew Research Center)
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