Most Americans are ideologically moderate

Cable news and social media portray US politics as beset by partisanship and political polarization. But do most Americans take ideologically extreme positions? In new survey research of almost 300,000 people, Anthony Fowler examines Americans’ likely real political positions. He finds that nearly 3/4 of Americans have views that correspond with a single ideology, and of those, most are moderate. These moderates, he writes, also drive the selection and accountability of political candidates.