Poll: Independents hit record high
A record-high percentage of Americans identified themselves as independents in 2011, according to a survey released Monday.
Indeed, 40 percent of voters identified as independent — the highest percentage in at least 60 years, reports Gallup.
The figure of 40 percent narrowly beats out independent political identification in 2007, when it stood at 39 percent, and stands even higher than when Ross Perot made his independent bid for the presidency in 1992.
“Increased independent identification is not uncommon in the year before a presidential election year, but the sluggish economy, record levels of distrust in government, and unfavorable views of both parties helped to create an environment that fostered political independence more than in any other pre-election year,” Gallup said.
The polling firm first began asking the question in phone interviews in 1988, and in face-to-face interviews in 1951. From 1951 to 1988, surveys indicated that the percentage of Americans identifying as independents was in the low 30 percent range.