Fewer Americans self-identify as conservative: Gallup

The number of Americans who identify themselves as conservatives has decreased over the first half of the year, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. 

The poll found just 36 percent of respondents described their political ideology as conservative in May and June, which is a 4-point decline since 40 percent said the same in January and February.

The decline has been fairly steady over the past six months, with 37 percent describing themselves as conservatives in May and April, Gallup noted. 

The number of Americans who described themselves as liberal, however, has increased fairly steadily in the same time period, according to the survey firm. The new poll found 26 percent of respondents said they identify as liberal, which is a 4-point increase since 22 percent said the same in January and February. 

The number of Americans who identify as moderate has remained fairly steady, with 36 percent of respondents identifying as moderate in May and June as well as March and April, a 2-point increase since January and February, based on Gallup’s polling. 

The 40 percent of Americans who described themselves as politically conservative at the start of the year was tied for the highest rate of conservatism recorded in the past six years, according to the polling firm.

The decline in self-identified conservatism in the first half of the year was more pronounced among adults in upper-income households. The survey found an 11-point decline among Americans in households with an income of $100,000 or higher, dropping from 40 percent identifying as conservative to just 29 percent. 

The dip was also more pronounced among middle-aged Americans. There was a 10-point dip among Americans aged 35 to 54, with just 34 percent identifying as politically conservative in May and June compared to 44 percent who said the same at the start of the year. 

The latest findings come about 100 days out from the election, when President Trump will seek reelection and a number of Republican senators will seek to fend off Democratic challengers to try to keep the GOP majority in the upper chamber. 

The latest Gallup survey results are based on combined interviews from three Gallup polls in May and June encompassing telephone interviews with a sample of 3,079 adults. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.