Poll finds conservative views among Americans at highest level in a decade.

The Rise of Social Conservatism in America

According to the latest Gallup Values and Beliefs survey, an increasing number of Americans are embracing conservative values on social and economic issues.

The study, conducted from May 1 to 24, revealed a significant surge in social conservatism, reaching its highest level since 2012. This trend coincides with ongoing debates on transgender rights, abortion, crime, drug use, and the teaching of gender and sexuality in schools.

The survey data indicated that 38 percent of Americans consider themselves very conservative or conservative on social issues, compared to 33 percent in 2022 and 30 percent in 2021.

Conversely, the percentage of individuals identifying as very liberal or liberal on social issues dipped to 29 percent from 34 percent in the previous two years. The remaining 31 percent of respondents described themselves as moderate, a figure that has remained relatively stable.

The surge in conservative identification extended across various political and demographic subgroups. Notably, Republicans exhibited one of the largest increases, with 74 percent identifying as socially conservative, compared to 60 percent in 2021. Independents have experienced a modest uptick, rising from 24 percent to 29 percent, while Democrats have seen no change, with 10 percent identifying as socially conservative in both 2021 and 2023.

The study also highlighted that middle-aged adults, specifically those between the ages of 30 and 64, have witnessed double-digit increases in conservative social ideology since 2021. In contrast, older Americans’ views on social issues have remained stable, while there has been a slight increase in conservative social ideology among young adults.

Economic Conservatism on the Rise

On economic issues, the survey revealed that 44 percent of Americans identify as very conservative or conservative, while 33 percent consider themselves moderate, and 21 percent describe themselves as very liberal or liberal. The figure for economic conservatism represented the highest level since 2012, surpassing the average of 40 percent observed between 2020 and 2022.

This long-standing trend of Americans identifying as economically conservative rather than liberal can be attributed to the dominance of conservative self-identification among Republicans. In 2023, an overwhelming 79 percent of Republicans identified as economically conservative, compared to 48 percent of Democrats who identified as economically liberal.

Furthermore, more independents lean toward economic conservatism (36 percent) than liberalism (16 percent), with approximately half describing themselves as moderate on economic matters.

The study suggested that changes in political party identification primarily drive the slight shifts in economic ideology among Americans. While the overall ideological identification remained less conservative than economic issues, it is closer to the figures observed for social issues.

Other Changes

The rise in social conservatism aligns with the current national debate surrounding various controversial issues. The increased prominence of transgender rights, abortion, and other contentious matters appears to have fostered an environment conducive to passing conservative-leaning social legislation, particularly in Republican-dominated states.

Recent state-level actions have seen the implementation of stricter abortion restrictions, limitations on transgender youth participation in sports and health care choices, and restrictions on classroom discussions.

While Americans remain more likely to identify as conservative when it comes to their political views overall, it is important to note that these trends are subject to change as societal debates continue to evolve.