Pew Research: Country Increasingly Democratic

Several reporters are quoting Pew research from last March that found the country turning more Democratic. Pew concluded, “increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies have improved the political landscape for the Democrats as the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway.”

Here are some specific Pew findings that encourage Democrats:

 In 2002, the country was equally divided along partisan lines: 43% identified with the Republican Party or leaned to the GOP, while an identical proportion said they were Democrats. Today, 50% either identifies as a Democrat or says they lean to the Democratic Party, compared with 35% who align with the GOP.

 Support is rising for government action to help disadvantaged Americans. 54% say the government should help more needy people, even if it adds to the nation's debt, up from just 41% in 1994.

 Also helping Democrats, 44% say they "don't have enough money to make ends meet," up from 35% in 2002. The number "pretty well satisfied" with their personal financial situation is lower than it has been in more than a decade. And 73% concur with the sentiment "today it's really true that the rich just get richer while the poor get poorer," up from 65% five years ago.

 In 2002, less than a year after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more than 60% agreed with the statement, "The best way to ensure peace is through military strength." Today, about half express similar confidence in military power.

 In Pew surveys since the beginning of 2006, 12% identified themselves as unaffiliated with a religious tradition. That compares with 8% in the Pew values survey in 1987. The change appears to be generational.

Pew found, however, that in spite of the Democrats' growing advantage in party identification, its standing with the public is no better than it was when Bush was inaugurated in 2001. What’s happened is the Republican Party’s rapid loss of public support, particularly among independents. The proportion of Americans holding a favorable view of Republicans stands at 41%, down 15 points since January 2001. But during that time, the positive view of Democrats has declined by six points, to 54%.

And Americans feel estranged from government, period. Just 34% agree with the statement, "most elected officials care what people like me think," a 10-point drop since 2002.