Dim Views of Republican, Democratic Parties Ahead of Midterms – Pew Research Center
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October 30, 2025
A Year Ahead of the Midterms, Americans’ Dim Views of Both Parties
Democrats’ frustration with their own party is up sharply, as many say it hasn’t pushed back hard enough against Trump and the GOP
By Steven Shepard, Andy Cerda, Joseph Copeland, Ted Van GreenandShanay Gracia
How we did this
With the 2026 midterm elections a year away, neither the Republican nor Democratic Party is widely seen as having good ideas. And both are viewed by majorities as too extreme and not governing honestly and ethically:
- 39% of Americans describe the Republican Party as governing ethically and honestly – and about the same share (42%) say this about the Democratic Party.
- Majorities continue to view both parties as too extreme in their positions – though more apply this to the GOP (61%) than the Democratic Party (57%).
Majorities are also frustrated with both parties, and about half say each makes them angry. A Pew Research Center survey of 3,445 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 22-28 (just before the now monthlong government shutdown) also finds that just 36% say the Republican Party makes them feel hopeful, with even fewer (28%) saying this about the Democrats.
Frustration runs particularly high among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, who are frustrated not just with Republicans – who control the White House and both chambers of Congress – but with their own party:
- 67% of Democrats say their own party makes them feel frustrated in the September survey – far higher than the roughly half who said this in 2021 and 2019.
- Asked the main reason for their frustration, the dominant pre-shutdown response of frustrated Democrats (41%) is that the party has not pushed back hard enough against the Trump administration.
In contrast, Republican frustration with the GOP is far lower than in 2021: 40% of Republicans and Republican leaners say they are frustrated with their party. And 69% now say the party makes them feel hopeful.
The survey explores several aspects of public attitudes about the two major political parties, including:
- How Americans feel about the Republican and Democratic parties (Chapter 1)
- How Americans see the parties on key issues (Chapter 2)
- What Americans want and expect from party leaders (Chapter 3)
- How well the parties represent Americans’ interests (Chapter 4)
The parties and key issues
The Republican Party continues to have a clear edge on crime and immigration policies – two hallmarks of President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House.
By 17 percentage points, more Americans say they agree with the GOP than the Democrats (45% vs. 28%) when it comes to crime policy – a larger Republican edge on this issue than two years ago.
The Republican advantage on immigration policy stands at 9 points (44% vs. 35%), essentially unchanged since 2023.
By comparison, Republicans’ advantage on the economy has largely eroded since 2023.
Today, 38% of Americans say they agree with the Republican Party on policies to deal with the economy, while nearly as many (35%) agree with the Democratic Party – a narrow 3 percentage point advantage.
Two years ago, the GOP had a 12-point advantage on this issue. The Democratic Party, in contrast, continues to hold advantages on policies concerning health care, the environment and climate, abortion, and race.
But Americans are now about equally likely to agree with the Republican and Democratic parties when it comes to policies affecting people who are lesbian, gay and transgender – a shift from recent years. Today, 37% say they agree more with Democrats on this issue, while 35% agree more with Republicans.The Democratic Party held an 8-point edge on this previously (37% in 2023 to 29% today).
For more about how the public views the parties on issues, read Chapter 2.
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Dim Views of Republican, Democratic Parties Ahead of Midterms | Pew Research Center
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