Understanding Americans' ideology

Most Americans describe their political views as centrist, with 21% saying they’re in the center and smaller but notable shares identifying on the left or right ends of the ideological spectrum; party loyalists are more likely to situate themselves toward their party’s respective ideological edge.

These patterns show that many Americans see themselves outside the extremes, suggesting that messaging and engagement strategies that reflect broad-based values and practical concerns may resonate more widely than highly polarized language.