Following the 2024 election and the second inauguration of Donald Trump, more democrats would like their party to become more moderate while a similar share of republicans would favor keeping the current status quo for their party.
The preferences for both parties have shifted significantly since the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden which is the last time that Gallup measured the opinions on the question. Support for a more moderate democratic party is growing among democrats and democratic leaning independents, with an 11 point jump since 2021, bringing it up for 45%. There desire for a more liberal party among the same people has declined five points now measuring at 29% and preferences for no change in party ideology have fallen nine points to 22%.
Among republicans and republican leaning independents support for the current GOP to stick to their current talking points is up nine points to 43% as the desire for a more conservative party is down to 28. The 27% of republicans and those who lean republican prefer a more moderate party has not changed significantly since 2021.
Gallup data shows that partisans have grown more polarized. The share of democrats identifying as liberal is 55% and the share of republicans identifying as conservatives is 77% which are both record high for the parties. 49% of democrats and those who lean left identified themselves as politically liberal, 43% as moderate, and 6% as conservative. Those who call themselves liberal would prefer the party to become more liberal (45%), or stay the same as now (22%) rather than be more moderate (30%). However, moderates in the blue party back a moderate shift for the party (62%) while 22% say it should remain the same and 14% of moderates say they would prefer a more liberal party.
On the other side of the aisle, two-thirds of republicans and those who lean red, self identify as conservative, 31% as moderate and just 2% as liberal. The conservatives are divided in their wants for the party, 45% favor the current state of the party, 38% want a more conservative shift, 16% say the party needs to be more moderate. However, 50% of moderate republicans want a more moderate party, 36% want the party to stay as it is now and 10% favor a more conservative approach.
Moderate republicans are more likely than moderate democrats to prefer their party stay the same. While moderate democrats are most likely to want the party to move to the center. After he won the presidency and republicans took back the house and senate Donald Trump began to enact his agenda he campaigned on and for now, he has an overwhelming majority of his party approving of his job. But democrats want their party to move more moderate so that it stands a better change of retaking the house and senate in the 2026 midterms.