More than a third of Americans (37%) say they want more options to choose from when it comes to political parties, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. “Americans have long been frustrated with the two major political parties,” Gabriel Borelli, a research associate focusing on U.S. politics and policy, wrote.
Thirty-two percent of respondents somewhat agree with the statement: “I often wish there were more political parties to choose from.” A third of those surveyed (30%) say they didn’t resonate with the statement at all, favoring the two-party system instead.
Almost half of U.S. adults surveyed, ages 18 to 49, say their views are expressed extremely or very well by the statement (43%, ages 18 to 29 and 44%, ages 30 to 49, respectively). More than a third (35%) of respondents, ages 50 to 64, agree compared to 25% of persons 65 and older.
Age made a difference in both parties, with younger adults more likely to support an increase in the number of political parties. Nearly four in ten Republicans (36%) and more than half of Democrats (53%) under the age of 50 support the change.
Along party lines, Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents are more inclined to say they want more parties when compared to Republicans and GOP leaners (46% to 29% respectively). The percentage is higher for Democrat- leaning versus Republican- leaning respondents, with 56% in favor of changing the two- party system compared to 42% against changing the number of coalitions.
Pew Research Center surveyed 10,357 U.S. adults. Here is the topline and survey methodology. The full report can be accessed here.
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