Democrats Have Advantage on Party Image and Issues

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Democratic Party holds an advantage over the Republican Party on several measures of public opinion. Americans view the Democratic Party more favorably and are more likely to say it can keep the country prosperous and handle the problem they consider to be most important. They are also more likely to describe the GOP's views and policies as too extreme and too conservative than to characterize the Democratic Party as too extreme and too liberal. Meanwhile, the public is about evenly divided on which party would better protect the U.S. from foreign threats, an issue on which the GOP has typically led.

Yet the Democratic Party’s stronger standing on these measures does not mean its overall image is positive. A majority of Americans continue to view the party unfavorably.

These findings are from Gallup’s annual Governance poll, conducted Sept. 1-17, 2026.

Democratic Party Edges Out Republican Party in Favorability

Americans are more likely to view the Democratic Party than the Republican Party favorably (43% vs. 35%, respectively). The Democratic Party's rating has increased six percentage points since last year, while the Republican Party's has declined by five points.

The Democratic Party has typically been viewed more favorably than the Republican Party throughout Gallup's trend dating back to 1992. Over that period, the Democratic Party has averaged 49% favorable, compared with 44% for the Republican Party. The current eight-point gap in September is thus larger than the five-point average difference between the parties. Majority-level favorability has been rare for both parties, particularly since 2010. Each has only reached 51% once in the past 15 years: the Republican Party in 2020 and the Democratic Party in 2012.

Party favorability has also tended to shift with the popularity of the sitting president and which party occupies the White House. The Republican Party held a slight advantage during most of Joe Biden’s presidency, while the Democratic Party has now regained the advantage during President Donald Trump’s second term.

Americans Shift Toward Democrats for Handling Nation’s Top Problem

Thirty percent of Americans name the government or poor leadership as the most important problem facing the country, consistently the top mention since late 2024. Economic concerns follow, including the high cost of living or inflation at 13% and the economy in general at 11%. Immigration ranks next at 10%, while 7% mention the war in the Middle East.

When asked which party would do a better job of handling the problem they consider most important, 44% of Americans choose the Democratic Party and 33% the Republican Party. The remaining 23% say there is no difference, name another party or do not offer an opinion.

The Democratic Party's current 11-point lead marks a reversal from the previous several years. The Republican Party led by 11 points in 2022, eight points in 2023 and five points in 2024 — all during the Biden administration — before the parties were essentially tied last year.

Longer term, neither party has consistently dominated on this measure. For the past two decades, the advantage has shifted between the parties, although the Democratic Party recorded some of its largest leads during the mid-2000s, including 17 points in 2007.

Party Standing Shifts on Prosperity and Security

Americans also favor the Democratic Party over the Republican Party when asked which would do a better job of keeping the country prosperous. A slim majority of Americans, 51%, say the Democratic Party would do a better job of keeping the country prosperous, compared with 37% who choose the Republican Party. The Democratic Party's 14-point margin is its largest on this measure since 2007, when it led by 20 points.

Just three years ago, the Republican Party held a 14-point advantage, with the gap narrowing to six points in the Republican Party's favor in 2024 and to four points in the Democratic Party’s favor in 2025.

Americans are more closely divided over which party would better protect the country from international terrorism and military threats, with 46% choosing the Democratic Party and 42% the Republican Party. This is only the third time since Gallup first asked the question in 2002 that the Republican Party has not led on this issue, along with 2007, when the Democratic Party led by five points, and 2012, when the parties were tied.

Opinions have shifted quickly on this measure. In 2023, the Republican Party held a 22-point lead, 57% to 35%. That narrowed to 14 points in 2024 and seven points last year.

Perceptions of Parties’ Ideological Positioning Have Shifted Since 2022

Americans’ perceptions of the two major parties’ ideological positioning have shifted since Gallup last measured them in 2022 during the last midterm election year. The public has become less likely to view the Democratic Party as too liberal and more likely to describe the Republican Party as too conservative.

Currently, 46% of U.S. adults say the Democratic Party’s political views are too liberal, down from 55% in 2022. At the same time, the percentage who consider the party’s views “about right” has risen by six points to 37%. Another 15% say the Democratic Party is too conservative, up four points and the highest reading in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1992.

At the same time, 50% of Americans now say the GOP’s political views are too conservative, up seven points from 2022 and the highest Gallup has recorded. Meanwhile, 36% consider the party’s views about right, down seven points, while 12% say they are too liberal.

More See GOP as Too Extreme; DSA, MAGA Viewed About Equally

Campaign advertising in recent elections has often sought to portray opponents as politically extreme. Americans are more likely to describe the Republican Party's views and policies as too extreme (59%) than to say the same about the Democratic Party (43%). The prior reading in 2022 found the parties were rated similarly, with 49% calling the Democratic Party and 46% the GOP too extreme.

The percentage who see the Republican Party as too extreme is 13 points higher now than in 2022. This is the highest for either party in Gallup’s seven readings since 2000. At the same time, the percentage who say the Democratic Party is too extreme is six points lower than in 2022.

Campaign efforts to portray candidates as politically extreme often seek to associate Democrats with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Republicans with Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Neither movement is viewed favorably by a majority of Americans. Thirty-eight percent have a favorable opinion of DSA and 36% of MAGA. MAGA's unfavorable rating (61%) is seven points higher than DSA's (54%), largely because U.S. adults are less familiar with DSA than MAGA.

Partisans Loyal to Own Party; Independents More Favorable Toward Democrats

Underlying these overall ratings are sharp partisan differences, with Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly favoring their own party and pluralities of independents generally favoring the Democratic Party. The Democratic advantage among independents is largest on the economy: Half say the Democratic Party would do a better job of keeping the country prosperous, compared with 32% who choose the Republican Party.

Four in 10 independents view the Democratic Party favorably, compared with 27% who view the Republican Party favorably. Independents view Democratic Socialists of America somewhat more favorably than Make America Great Again (37% vs. 30%).

Independents are also more likely to say Democrats are better able to handle the nation’s most important problem, 39% to 26%, and to protect the country from international terrorism and military threats, 45% to 38%.

By contrast, partisans broadly support their own party. More than four in five Republicans and Democrats alike rate their own party favorably and choose it to handle the issues measured. Republicans have a more favorable opinion of MAGA (82%) than Democrats have of DSA (70%).

Bottom Line

The Democratic Party has improved its standing relative to the Republican Party on several measures of public opinion, reversing advantages the GOP held on key issues during much of the Biden administration. The shift extends beyond overall party favorability to perceptions of which party is better able to address the nation's problems, maintain prosperity and protect the country from foreign threats.

Still, neither party enjoys a broadly positive public image. Despite the Democratic Party's current advantages, a majority of Americans view it unfavorably.

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Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).