Conservatives Now Outnumber Liberals Almost Two to One in America, According to Washington Post Poll

Friday, July 24, 2009
By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief
(CNSNews.com) - Americans who consider themselves conservatives now outnumber Americans who consider themselves liberal by almost two to one, according to a new poll by the Washington Post and ABC News.

In the poll of 1,001 adults conducted between July 15-18, respondents were asked: “Would you say your views on most political matters are liberal, moderate, or conservative?”

Thirty-eight percent said they were conservative, while only 20% said they were liberal. Thirty-nine percent, meanwhile, said they were moderate.

The percentage of self-described conservatives has increased since President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January and the percentage of self-described liberals has diminished. A Washington Post poll conducted in mid-January, shortly before the inauguration, showed 32% saying they were conservative, 24% saying they were liberal and 42% saying they were moderates.

The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3 points.

A Post poll done in late March also had 38% of respondents describing themselves as conservatives, but the percentage of conservatives dipped to 35% in an April poll and 36% in a June poll.

The highest percentage that conservatives have achieved in this poll since the beginning of the 2008 presidential election cycle (in January 2007) was 39%. That came in a September 2007 poll, several months before the first 2008 presidential primaries.

The highest percentage that liberals achieved in this poll during the same time frame was 25%, a mark they hit in both February 2008, in the midst of the presidential primaries, and July 2007.