More Americans identify as socially liberal, Gallup finds

FILE-Abortion rights protesters attend a rally at the Texas Capitol, Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Austin, Texas. Photo/Eric Gay, file)

(NewsNation) — More Americans identify as having liberal views on social issues than in previous years, according to data released by a recent Gallup poll.

While those who consider themselves liberal (33%) remain close to those who identify as conservative (32%) or moderate (32%) heading into what is expected to be a hotly contested presidential election in November, Americans have become increasingly liberal. regarding social issues over the past 20 years, research shows.

As expected, the trend to lean even further left is driven by Democrats, as neither Republicans nor independents have moved toward a more liberal attitude, according to a Gallup poll. However, since 2004, the number of Democrats expressing more liberal views has increased by 30 points, from 39% of those who consider themselves liberal in 2004 to 69% in 2024, according to the poll.

Democrats have become increasingly liberal on economic issues, at the rate nearly doubling, the data shows. The majority of Americans identify as fiscally conservative (39%) or moderate (35%), while only about 23% of Americans consider themselves fiscally liberal, according to Gallup.

Gallup data shows that the peak of liberal economic identification occurred in 2021, when 25% of Americans identified in this category. However, the percentage in this group has exceeded 20% in each of the last five years.

Gallup reports that conservative views on budgeting were particularly high during former President Barack Obama's first term. From 2009 to 2012, about 50% of Americans considered themselves economically conservative, including 51% of U.S. residents placing themselves in this category in 2010, when the Tea Party won the congressional elections.

Republicans have become more conservative over time on social and especially economic issues, according to a poll. They are somewhat less moderate than in the past on social issues and are half as likely today as in 2004 to express moderate views on the economy.

As was the case in 2004, few Republicans consider themselves liberal on either type of issue.

However, the growth of liberal views among Democrats has outpaced the growth of conservative views among Republicans. As the ideological makeup of political independents has remained stable, the liberalization of Democratic views has shifted national averages on social and economic issues, Gallup reported.

Americans' views on economic issues are still more conservative than liberal, despite a growing number of Americans who identify as economically liberal.

However, following historic changes in LGBTQ+ rights, the legalization of marijuana across much of the United States, and the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, the country is now less conservative than in the past on social issues, in equal measures. identifying as liberal, moderate, and conservative.