Fewer Americans Call Themselves Democrats

Adults asked for a party affiliation aren’t saying “Democrat” as often, according to Gallup surveys conducted Aug. 1-31.

During August, Gallup said, an average of 45 percent of Americans identifed themselves as Democrats or leaning to the Democratic Party — a 7-point drop since January.

The poll found that 40 percent of those surveyed identified themselves as Republicans or leaning to the Republican Party.

Back in January — the month Barack Obama was sworn into office — that gap in party identification was 17 percentage points. Now the Democratic advantage is 5 points, according to Gallup’s telephone surveys of 31,174 adults.

The 45 percent who identify themselves as Democrats includes 11 percent who identify themselves as independents but say they lean to the Democratic Party. The Republican Party’s 40 percent support total includes 28 percent Republican identifiers and 12 percent Republican-leaning independents.

Gallup said the narrowing of the gap may be a reflection of the difficulties a party has in governing. Democrats began to build up a party-identification advantage in 2005 as George W. Bush’s job approval rating sank, which ultimately led to the Democrats’ retaking party control of Congress in 2006 and of the presidency in 2008.

While the Democratic advantage in party support is shrinking, it is not being accompanied by a notable increase in core Republican Party identification. Gallup said the the shrinking gap is due more to a loss of Democratic support and an increase in “soft” Republican support from a growing proportion of Republican-leaning independents.

Still, the survey shows Republicans could be in a better position they were at the beginning of 2009, a positive sign as the 2010 midterm elections draw nearer — but the continued low share of Republican identifiers in the U.S. population is a sign that the GOP still has a way to go to recover its losses over the last few years.

The maximum margin of sampling error is plus or minus 1 percentage point.

~ Congressional Quarterly