The percentage of Americans (38%) who consider themselves "conservative" or "very conservative" when it comes to social issues is the highest in a decade, according to a new Gallup poll:
The last time so many Americans said they were socially conservative was in 2012, during a period when more and more American adults identified themselves as conservative rather than liberal on social issues.
The figure (38%) represents a five percentage point increase over last year (33%) and an 8% increase compared to 2020 (30%).
20230608Social-EconomicIdeo... by Verónica Silveri
On the other hand, the percentage of Americans who now consider themselves "liberal" or very "liberal" on social issues fell from 33% in 2022 to 29% this year while the number of people who identified themselves as "moderate" remained steady this year (31%).
The survey was conducted May 1-24 among 1,011 Americans.
Policies implemented by Republicans influence outcomes
The poll also revealed notable differences in the increase of citizens who say they are conservative concerning their age:
- The 30-49 age group experienced the largest increase this year (35%) being 13 points higher than in 2021 (22%).
- People aged 50-64 who said they are socially conservative increased 11 points, from 35% in 2021 to 46% this year.
- The younger age group (18 to 29 years old) increased by 6 points from 24% (2021) to 30% in 2023.
By political affiliation, the figures also change. Republicans experienced the largest increase of 14 percentage points, from 60% in 2021 to 74% today. Independents increased by five percentage points (from 24% in 2021 to 29% today) and Democrats remain the same (10% in 2021 and 2023).
Gallup indicated in the analysis that conservative ideals have increased in society this year due, in part, to policies implemented by Republican leaders regarding issues such as abortion and LGBT rights, among others:
Greater social conservatism may be fostering a more favorable environment for passing conservative-leaning social legislation, especially in Republican-dominated states.
Americans are mostly "economically conservative"
On economic issues, the majority of Americans said they support conservative trends (44%). Only 21% of citizens identified with liberal ideals.
In terms of political affiliation, 79% of Republicans claimed to identify themselves as "economically conservative" compared to 16% of Democrats and 36% of Independent voters.
ters the percentage stood at 36%.
