Deep internal fissures are dividing Republicans over matters of style, like how eager people are to humiliate a political opponent, and substance, like whether abortion should be legal or carrying a gun in public should be commonplace.<\/p>\n
Democrats are divided just as deeply over how to address transgender issues, crime and whether they like the \u201cdemocratic socialist\u201d label, according to the Pew Research Center\u2019s 2026 \u201cPolitical Typology\u201d study<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pew asked <\/b>a random sample of adults their opinions on the role of government, economic issues, immigration, elected officials and other topics. The findings confirmed a long-term problem <\/b>faced by both parties: Their most enthusiastic supporters hold the most extreme views, whereas a broader swath of less engaged voters who decide elections tend to be more moderate.<\/p>\n The Pew study, conducted every five-or-so years since 1987, uses polling and analysis to reimagine how Americans would cluster around ideas if they were not grouped into two political parties. Pew then created nine <\/b>ideological categories in an attempt to more clearly define where people actually stand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an effort to sort the public not just in the Democratic and Republican lanes that we\u2019re all so used to,\u201d said Jocelyn Kiley, director of research on U.S. politics at the Pew Research Center. Kiley said a core motivating question is \u201cwhat if people didn\u2019t automatically have political parties and you just identified groups based on their political values.\u201d<\/p>\n Which typology group fits you best? Find out by taking Pew\u2019s Political Typology quiz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pew\u2019s analysis found four groups on the political right of roughly equal size: Faith First Conservatives at 12 percent of U.S. adults, the No Apologies Right at 9 percent, the Unconventional Right at 12 percent and the Pragmatic and Polite Right at 11 percent.<\/p>\n Guns, abortion and religion marked some of the biggest cleavages on the right. Majorities of Faith First Conservative and the No Apologies Right groups were very comfortable with people openly carrying guns in public, opposed legal abortion and said it\u2019s important for U.S. culture to be based on Christian beliefs. Fewer than half of people in the Unconventional Right and Pragmatic and Polite Right hold any of these views.<\/p>\n A second big division is the tone of political rhetoric. The No Apologies Right is the only group in which a majority (53 percent) said they like it \u201cwhen politicians you agree with humiliate political opponents,\u201d compared with just 5 percent of the Pragmatic and Political Right and fewer than half of any other group in Pew\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n The Pragmatic and Polite Right held conservative views on economics and the role of government but more liberal views on race and international issues. For example, most said the legacy of slavery continues to affect the condition of Black people, and more than 6 in 10 had a favorable view of NATO. A slight majority opposed the Iran war, while majorities in the other three right-leaning groups supported it.<\/p>\n The Unconventional Right \u2014 a younger and less politically engaged group \u2014 held a hodgepodge of conservative and moderate views: They generally favored smaller government, but about half said government has a responsibility to provide health insurance. They were split on the legality of abortion and whether undocumented immigrants should be deported.<\/p>\n While hard to pin down ideologically, the Unconventional Right is significant because the group has swung sharply against President Donald Trump since he returned to office. While 78 percent approved of him in February 2025, a narrow 53 majority said this in April. Of all the Republican-leaning groups, they\u2019re the least likely to say it \u201creally matters\u201d which party wins control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n Trump is also unpopular among the Pragmatic and Polite Right at 36 percent approval, although he started at a lower 50 percent among this group. By contrast, 81 percent of Faith First Conservatives and 90 percent of the No Apologies Right approve of Trump\u2019s job performance.<\/p>\n Pew identified four Democratic-leaning groups, ranging widely in size: The Order and Opportunity Left was the largest at 18 percent of the adult population, followed by the Left-Out Left at 12 percent, Loyal Liberals at 11 percent and Leftward Progressives representing the smallest group at 7 percent. All four of these groups lean toward the Democratic Party, but the poll reveals stark splits in how they view the party as well as their social and economic values.<\/p>\n In one of the biggest divisions, 92 percent of Leftward Progressives and 69 percent of Loyal Liberals are extremely or very comfortable with people using \u201cthey\/them\u201d pronouns, compared with fewer than half of other Democratic-leaning groups and about one-quarter of Americans overall. Leftward Progressives and Loyal Liberals also stand out in their lower concern with crime, for liking political leaders that identify as \u201cdemocratic socialists\u201d and saying it\u2019s bad for the country that some people are billionaires.<\/p>\n Leftward Progressives stand out for their youth, frequent internet use and frustrations with the Democratic Party. While nearly all of those who voted supported Kamala Harris in 2024, barely 6 in 10 have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, and they\u2019re more likely than any group to wish there were more political parties.<\/p> Read more Five takeaways from the primaries in Maine and South Carolina<\/a><\/p>\n Loyal Liberals are the counterweight to progressives, holding progressive political values on many topics but also a strong allegiance to the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n The Order and Opportunity Left may be one of the most politically significant groups, leaning clearly toward Democrats but standing out as socially moderate. While those who voted in 2024 favored Harris over Trump by a more than 3 to 1 margin, they are more trusting of military and police than other left-leaning groups, and 6 in 10 favor a military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border.<\/p>\n The Order and Opportunity left is racially diverse and has lower incomes than most other groups, but their views on the economy are nuanced. While most think large corporations make too much profit, they have more confidence in business leaders than other left-leaning groups. They also believe in economic mobility generally, saying Americans have at least \u201ca fair amount\u201d of control over their financial success.<\/p>\n The Left-Out Left are overwhelmingly oriented toward Democrats, but they\u2019re also most financially stressed, don\u2019t follow politics closely and are skeptical that the country can solve its problems. In line with their name, they\u2019re the most likely group to feel politically ignored.<\/p>\n Pew\u2019s Typology study demonstrates that even in a time of sharp partisan divisions, there is a great deal of diversity in Americans\u2019 political opinions.<\/p>\n The study also showcases the challenges parties face in assembling broad coalitions to win elections: The most liberal and conservative groups turn out at the highest rates and have an outsize sway in low-turnout primaries, but voters with more moderate views or mixed opinions may make the difference between winning and losing general elections.<\/p>\n For 2026, the study shows Loyal Liberals and the No Apologies Right are the most likely to say it really matters which party wins control of Congress, followed by Leftward Progressives and Faith First Conservatives.<\/p>\n Most people in the Pragmatic and Polite Right say the outcome really matters. But they are not as loyal to Trump as other conservatives. They voted for him in the 2024 election, by a 14-point margin, but have since soured, with only 36 percent approving of his job performance in April.<\/p>\n The Left-Out Left also appears poised to play a role this year. Just over 4 in 10 voted in the 2024 election, and 83 percent of them supported Harris. But only 5 percent approve of Trump\u2019s job performance, and 59 percent say it \u201creally matters\u201d which party wins control of Congress.<\/p>\n That sets up Democrats well for the midterms, but the survey shows why the 2028 presidential contest has more warning flags.<\/p>\n Leftward progressives, who make up only 14 percent of the Democratic Party, have driven much of the agenda and energy on the left. But whoever wins the party\u2019s nomination \u2014 and, potentially a general election \u2014 would probably need support from more moderate voters from the Order and Opportunity Left and the Left-Out Left.<\/p>\n On the Republican side, Faith First Conservatives and the No Apologies Right together make up more than 4 in 10 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, probably enough to choose the next nominee if they coalesce around a candidate.<\/p>\n But their judgment may not align with other Americans. Majorities of both groups say Trump has been the best president in the past 40 years, while pluralities of the Unconventional Right and Pragmatic and Polite Right believe Ronald Reagan was the best.<\/p>\n Indeed, the biggest challenge for the Republican Party is that Trump\u2019s approval rating has fallen significantly with almost every group identified in the poll, and it has fallen the most among groups in the middle of the partisan spectrum. While Trump won\u2019t be on the ballot in 2026 or 2028, his image will undoubtedly play a big role in who voters support in both elections.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/beccd549929529c1edee44709f30693f-768x768.png\")
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