Independent Leaners:  Ideals, Myths, and Reality

Helmut Norpoth; Yamil Velez

doi:10.1515/1540-8884.1521

Article

Independent Leaners: Ideals, Myths, and Reality

Helmut Norpoth and Yamil Velez

Published/Copyright: October 31, 2012

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From the journal The Forum Volume 10 Issue 3

Abstract

The ideal of the Independent citizen has not fared well in survey research. The study of party identification recast Independence from parties as a weakness rather than strength. Others, however, have derided the gloomy findings about Independents as a myth; those Independents who profess partisan leanings appear to deserve better. Our examination of partisan leaners then and now finds that, oddly enough, the gloomy conclusion about Independents then was off the mark. In 1952, partisan leaners surpassed party identifiers in being politically involved and informed. Nowadays, however, the reverse is true. The partisan leaners, let alone pure Independents, have handed over the edge on positive qualities to party identifiers. We surmise that these changes have occurred due to increased polarization. Nonetheless, then and now partisan leaners prove far too volatile to qualify for the long-term partisanship that is found among party identifiers.

Keywords: independent citizen; partisan leanings; party identifiers

Published Online: 2012-10-31

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/1540-8884.1521

Keywords for this article

independent citizen; partisan leanings; party identifiers