Most U.S. adults say their side has been losing when it comes to the issues that matter to them, according to a Pew Research Center report released on February 12.
“As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, most Americans (71%) say that, on the issues that matter to them, their side in politics has been losing more often than winning,” Ted Van Green, a research analyst, wrote. “Just a quarter say their side has been winning more often than losing.”
Most Republican and Republican-leaning independents (83%) say their side is losing. On the other hand, many Democrat and Democratic-leaning respondents express more confidence, with 62% stating their side has seen more wins than losses.
These views were different during the Trump presidency. In a February 2020 poll, 69% of Republicans said their side was winning, while 80% of Democrats said their side was mostly losing. Twenty-nine percent of Republicans shared the sense of loss felt by their Democratic counterparts.
The survey also highlights ideological differences, pointing out that 38% of liberal Democrats say their side is winning more often than losing regarding the issues that matter to them. This is compared to 35% of moderate Democrats.
When it comes to conservative Republicans, only 12% say their side has seen more political victories than defeats. Just 21% of liberal Republicans (21%) say their side has seen more wins than losses on the issues that matter to them. These views are “roughly similar” to those expressed in 2016 when Barack Obama was president.
Here is the survey’s methodology. You can also read the full report here.
Director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, an associate editor, host of the Good Faith Media podcast, “The Raceless Gospel” and author of Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church.