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CV NEWS FEED // A recent Gallup report has found that a majority of Americans “think a major third party is needed” in the political system, but the implications behind their sentiments are not necessarily clear.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans in the Gallup poll responded that a third major party is needed because the Democrat and Republican parties do not do an adequate job representing American citizens.
However, according to the Gallup article on the findings, “it is unclear whether they are genuinely expressing a desire for a third option or are simply frustrated with the two existing parties.”
A graph of the poll responses showed that in the converse, 37% of participants agreed with the statement that “Republican and Democratic parties do an adequate job of representing the American people,” an uptick of three percent from 2023.
According to the graph, the portion of participants who responded that a third party is needed decreased from 63% in 2023 to 58% this year.
Support for a third party from Democrats in this group has increased from last year, when 46% agreed, to this year, when 53% agreed.
Conversely, Republicans’ support for a third party dropped 10% within the last year, falling from 58% to 48%.
According to Gallup, “This shift among Republicans comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ended his independent presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump.”
Immediately following the graph showing Gallup data from 2004 to 2024, the article states: “During Gallup’s trend, partisans have typically been more supportive of third parties when the sitting president is from the opposing party, and less supportive when their own party is in the White House.”
Political independents retain the highest percentage of support for a third party, with 69% this year saying a third party is needed.
