Voters dislike both parties, think GOP is better on top issues
- Voters hold unfavorable views of both major political parties
- The GOP is viewed as performing better on the economy and national security
- Independents tip the scales in favor of Republicans on issues
A voter checks in at Suffield Middle School on primary election day, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Suffield, Conn. Suffield is one of several small towns in Connecticut where control was flipped from Democrats to Republicans in 2021 municipal races. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
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(NewsNation) — As campaigning heats up for the 2024 presidential election, both political parties remain unpopular with voters, though the Republican Party leads the way when it comes to views on the economy and national security.
New data from Gallup shows 56% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, while 58% have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party.
While neither party is well-liked, 53% of Americans believed the GOP would keep the country prosperous while 57% said they trusted the Republican Party to keep the nation safe from international terrorism and military threats.
The Republican lead on the economy is an increase from last year and is the party’s widest advantage on the issues since 1991. In terms of national security, Republicans have led on the issue in all but two polls since the measure originated in 2002;
Despite beliefs that Republicans are prepared to deal with major issues facing Americans, voters don’t necessarily have a positive view of the party overall, with more than half (56%) of voters holding a negative opinion of the GOP. That’s consistent with polling done since 2005, when the Iraq War and former President George W. Bush’s approval rating began to influence how voters saw the party.
Similarly, 58% of Americans say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party. Democrats were held in a mostly positive light in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was only after 2009 when the party began to be seen in a largely negative light, with the exception of polling done in November of 2012, when former President Barack Obama was reelected.
The main driver behind Republican popularity is independent voters. Unsurprisingly, voters registered with either the Democrats or Republicans tended to see their own party in a positive light and the opposition in a negative light.
More than half of independent voters saw Republicans as better prepared to handle economic and national security issues, tipping the scales in favor of the GOP.
While the polling could indicate an advantage for Republican candidates as the country heads toward 2024, Gallup cautioned that previous polling on these measures has often changed within the span of a year, making it difficult to forecast how both parties will be seen when it comes time for voters to head to the polls.
