Americans and the 2026 midterms

July 31, 2026 Politics A monthly digest of research on public attitudes on politics and major policy issues · Subscribe ↗ Americans are now almost evenly split over whether they agree most with the Democratic Party (37%) or the GOP (36%) on economic policies. At this early stage, Democrats have both an edge in voters’ congressional candidate preferences and an engagement advantage among their coalition. Our political typology project reveals a political landscape beyond the two major parties: nine distinct groups, each defined by its own mix of values, beliefs and experiences. We examine not only where these groups stand on a range of policy issues, but also how they differ in their views of the Republican and Democratic parties, their political participation and preferred news sources, and much more. Are you Unconventional Right? Loyal Liberal? Or something else? Answer questions about your views and values, and we’ll match you with the typology group that fits you best. You can also create a community quiz to compare results with friends, family or classmates. While several democratic socialist candidates have won in recent Democratic primaries, the term itself has relatively modest traction nationally. A new Center analysis finds 32% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they like leaders who identify as democratic socialists, while 56% express a neutral view. Americans overall are more likely to dislike than like politicians who describe themselves this way. From our research