pros and cons of being an independent voter

That average can go up even more in various U.S. cities and states. I work in the Presidential battleground state of Florida, we have a lot of state representative, county commission races, etc. Again anecdotally, the independent vote in Florida tends to either lean Libertarian, or strongly leftist-progressive. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Thus the only way to win the primaries is to be the most Democratic or Republican you can be; not to moderate your platform. Being an independent contractor has its rewards, and whether it's worth it for you depends on the pros and cons. Since 2000, there have been sizable increases in the shares of both Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who identify as conservative. Trumps job rating among independents for his first two years in office also was lower than his recent predecessors; his average job rating among independents was 34% in both 2017 and 2018. So, how do alternative voting methods stack up against these criteria? With the 2020 election, we have begun to see more than two parties. Is voting worth trading your moral or ethical stance for? (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. I spend a lot of time talking to people across the country about our work at The Center for Election Science to strengthen democracy. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Arguments for and against closed primaries - Ballotpedia He didnt represent the ideologies and policies of the Democratic party, but rather pushed an agenda that aligned with, the Green Partys socialist and lower-class-first initiative. It's OKif you are registered R or D so you can vote in that primary. "Fact Sheet 13: Employment Relationship Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Here are the basic pros and cons of becoming an independent contractor.#. Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly oppose the border wall (95% disapprove), as do Democratic identifiers (92%). Independent contractors are sometimes called ICs, consultants, freelancers, free agents, or contractors. Given current state law, we did everything we could, he said. I think a lot of people are still wrestling with what preference means, said Alexander. Just 7% of Americans decline to lean toward a party, a share that has changed little in recent years. BTW, the concept of super-delegates in D convention was specifically designed to address the concern of electing Mondale-like "party hardcore favorites" in the primaries. I had thought at one time that independents represented the swing vote either side needed to win, and as the 'king maker' in elections we would thus be the ones that had to be courted and listen to by politicians. So I'm wondering if there is an advantage to staying true to my actual political views and staying an independent, as opposed to picking one side at random to register as so I can have some sort of say in presidential elections via voting in the primaries. Among the public overall, 17% are Democratic-leaning independents, while 13% lean toward the Republican Party. While there is a lot of freedom that comes with being an independent contractor, there is also a great deal of responsibility that comes with it. Perhaps more important, intense dislike of the opposing party, which has surged over the past two decades among partisans, has followed a similar trajectory among independents who lean toward the Republican and Democratic parties. While Alabama is now staunchly Republican, it was once staunchly Democrat under Franklin Roosevelt's 12 year presidency. Democrats and Democratic leaners are in sync in opinions about whether the nations economic system is generally fair. First off, you dont have to be pressured by one party or another to vote a specific way. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. other data sources to make educated guesses about your political leanings, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. You dont have to receive junk mail. How do I stop the Flickering on Mode 13h? Which party actually caused the 2016 presidential election swing? Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. TAKE OU, OP: Why wont PSU accept food stamps? The card millions of Californians use to register to vote is receiving its first makeover in more than a decade, inspired in part by confusion over how to become an independent unaffiliated voter a problem highlighted by a Los Angeles Times investigation in 2016. Among those who affiliate with the Republican Party, the margin is nearly eight-to-one (87% to 11%). And greater diversity of candidates running means more choice for voters. When many people expressed distaste toward voting for Biden over Trump, choosing instead to withhold their vote or vote third party, they were met with a barrage of Democratic supporters repeating the same phrase: V. When voters in 2016 were surveyed on why they supported their specific candidate, Clinton or Trump, : I dont like either, but Im voting for the lesser evil., There is something inherently problematic about voting for a candidate that doesnt back policies you support, expresses behavior that you find inappropriate or undesirable and may not even support your existence solely. For Democrats you don't have to choose moderate or liberal. The concept of a bipartisan system is flawed. Progressives and independents are told a vote for the third party is a vote for Trump, or any other Republican or majority candidate. You might find your opinions were a lot different than you thought, or that maybe, you just dont care as much as you felt you needed to. density matrix. The Pros and Cons of Being an Independent Insurance Agent Public support for same-sex marriage has grown rapidly over the past decade. An independent voter, often also called an unaffiliated voter or non-affiliated voter in the United States, is a voter who does not align themselves with a political party.An independent is variously defined as a voter who votes for candidates on issues rather than on the basis of a political ideology or partisanship; a voter who does not have long-standing loyalty to, or identification with . It hasnt yet been studied to determine its effectiveness at selecting a good winner, but it appears that it should lead to more competition and better winners. Other primary election types include: 1) open primaries, in which a voter either does not have to formally affiliate with a political party in order to vote in its primary or can declare his or her . , many on the left rallied against Biden being the Democratic candidate. However I live in Maryland, which has closed primaries for both parties and the state will always vote Democrat for presidential elections; which leaves me feeling that being an independent removes my voice. Men constitute a majority (56%) of independents. In most elections for local, state and national elections the voters must select from only two choices. Advantages of being an Independent? (Ron Paul, party affiliation, votes The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Are there any other pros to being independent? Just as an FYI, I live in Florida and we also have closed elections. Your email address will not be published. Independents views on the 2017 tax bill are more divided: 34% approve of the tax law and 43% disapprove. People looked up to Sanders because he advocated change. For those who want to remain unaffiliated, the card now gives them a box to check next to a new selection, No Party/None.. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for insurance agents was over $52,000 in 2020. Opinions among Democrats and Democratic leaners are nearly the mirror image: 88% of Democrats and 84% of Democratic leaners view the GOP unfavorably. At 21 (many years ago) I reasoned that no one party could always have the best candidates or have the perfect plan/platform at every given time. Because that's what this race is truly about. ", Internal Revenue Service. Theres a reason why more and more people have shifted over to being registered as an independent voter in the wake of the last several elections. The tendency of my state's voting doesn't really have anything to do with my independent views? For this reason, it can be misleading to look at independents as a single bloc. If you are Republican, you don't have to choose between being a regular or Tea Party Republican. George Wallace, The focus of criticism has been the traditional paper registration document, Californias top-two primary has made state and congressional elections open to all voters, Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon blasted at White House Correspondents dinner. Specifically the 'as legal' part. Obamas average rating was 50% during his first year (2009); it fell to 42% in his second year. After Sanders suspension, online forums and social media exploded with political disagreement. While there isn't any data (that I've seen) showing "an advantage" of registering Independents rather than of the two major parties, the way you engage them as a voter is highly correlated with their long-term engagement with the political process. Among the 50 states, our children came in last in education. The pros and cons of being an independent contractor - YouTube 4Independents particularly the 7% of Americans who dont lean toward a party are less politically engaged than partisans. Over the same period, there has been growth in the shares of Democrats and Democratic leaners identifying as liberal. While 45% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats are under age 50, these shares rise to 55% among Republican-leaning independents and 68% among Democratic leaners. Democratic leaners include roughly equal shares of men (51%) and women (49%). Sanders suspending his campaign additionally meant Joe Biden would be the Democratic candidate for the 2020 electionthough not officially, as Sanders is still on the primary ballots, but is unlikely to secure votes. It's too late to change that platform, even if the politician were willing to do so, and thus there is limited options to address the independent's needs, at least without reneging on your platform and promises. However, being an independent contractor can come with more responsibility. Among other things, it illustrated that independents have lower levels of political participation and are demographically different from those who affiliate with a party and that their views are often as divided as those of self-identified partisans. Yet Trumps rating among independents who lean to the opposing party like his rating among members of the opposing party was much lower than recent presidents. Progressives and independents are told a vote for the third party is a vote for Trump, or any other Republican or majority candidate. Independent Contractor: Definition and Examples | Indeed.com To be or not to be an Independent candidate Christians in Politics However, there are some potential drawbacks about being self-employed to consider too. The share of Democratic-leaning independents with a very unfavorable opinion of the Republican Party has more than quadrupled between 1994 and 2018 (from 8% to 37%). Here we offer some initial thoughts on the pros and cons of standing as, or voting for, an Independent candidate. Bernie Sanders was a Democrat in name only. It gives me an image of independents sneaking in to voting booths with a bunch of different silly costumes to vote 10 times an election :), Didn't you know? The spectrum of political opinions is far too diverse and wide-ranging to be isolated to two groups that essentially represent the same issues, goals and policies. Those changes include a new law that will allow voters to register and make changes to their partisan affiliation on election day. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Just 11% of independents who do not lean to a party view the Democratic Party favorably, while about as many (9%) have a favorable view of the GOP. Want to read more content like this? Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Read parts one and two. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. However, there are drawbacks to being an independent contractor as well. Democratic leaners, like Democrats, overwhelmingly disapprove of the president. If he didnt belong in the Democratic race, then why was he there? Majorities of independents say the U.S. needs to continue to make changes to give blacks equal rights with whites (57%) and that significant obstacles still make it harder for women to get ahead (54%). Updated on June 03, 2021. somehow the 'vote as often as legal' comment amuses me. Independents who lean toward a party are usually on the same side as those who identify with the same party, but the level of agreement between leaners and partisans varies depending on the issue. The new form, while attempting to simplify the choice, still uses the 2011 phrase, I do not want to choose a political party preference. That may not be intuitive, some say, because non-party voters often prefer a party when it comes time to fill out the ballot they just dont want to be labeled. But voters are moving to care more about issues, rather than parties. We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. That's a dramatic shift from just two decades ago, when only 12 percent of Florida voters were neither Republican nor Democrat. So how do we decide which is best? For those with a creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the rewards will be more than just monetary. How well do you collaborate with others? But the best advice I can give is be engaged, know what you care about and vote as often as legal. There exists an element in a group whose order is at most the number of conjugacy classes, Understanding the probability of measurement w.r.t. 6 Pros and Cons of Being Independent Wide majorities of both Democrats and Democratic leaners say more needs to be done to give blacks equal rights with whites, while partisan identifiers are somewhat more likely than leaners to say this (85% vs. 78%). Independents often are portrayed as political free agents with the potential to alleviate the nations rigid partisan divisions. Still, about 70% of GOP leaners approved of his job performance during his first two years in office. But those who leaned toward the parties were much less likely to say this. When Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the 2020 United States Presidential Race on April 8, the fallout was palpable, especially among those who identify as independent. As in the past, more independents describe their political views as moderate (43%) than conservative (29%) or liberal (24%). Considering we're generally in a 2-party system, the fewer voters who are registered as one or the other, the more likely candidates will try to appeal to the larger population, rather than just their "base". He said critics are biased if they arent also asking all the other parties about confusion regarding their names. You shouldnt be goaded into voting for someone who you dont believe supports your politics. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Feinstein has vowed to return to Washington, but what happens if she doesnt? People often ask me what makes a good winner in an election, and theyre surprised when I share that it has nothing to do with the candidate and their platform. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax However, Republican-leaning independents differ from Republicans in their views of immigrants impact on the country. Independents also are younger on average than are partisans. 3 Advantages of Being an Independent Insurance Agent The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Because people wont vote for the third party. It also hasnt been implemented in an election yet, so some questions about implementation remain. Political Independents: Who They Are, What They Think Independent voter - Wikipedia Yet independents who lean toward one of the two parties have a strong partisan imprint. When the holidays roll around and your relatives ask who you voted for, you can smugly say I voted green, or something along those lines, and watch their jaws hit the floor. Politics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people interested in governments, policies, and political processes. All answers are welcome, but I'm the sort of person who spends time on Skeptics, so I love sources and statistics if anyone wishes to include them as well :). Political parties are able to draw on resources, financial . New announcement, ASPSU president takes executive action to create financial relief, Guinness World Records oldest man dies at 112, On-Campus Events Calendar: April 25-May 1, Matthew N. Andrews and Andrew D. Jankowski, Movies go for the Olympics gold, so you dont have to. In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. The spectrum of political opinions is far too diverse and wide-ranging to be isolated to two groups that essentially represent the same issues, goals and policies. Majorities of both Democrats (69%) and independents (68%) favor legalizing marijuana; Republicans are divided, with 45% supportive of legalization and 51% opposed. . R primaries selected Romney, McCain, and Reagan, not Cain, Keyes/Huckabee or Robertson. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I'm registered currently as an independent. Many of Sanders supporters felt his chances at the presidency had been smeared and interfered with by liberal media. In their political attitudes and views of most issues, independents who lean toward a party are in general agreement with those who affiliate with the same party. But both tend to have lower voting turnout than the average voter, particularly in Mid-term elections. Politics is more than just beating the other candidate. Some of the disadvantages of being a 1099 employee include you must fund 100% of your Medicare and Social Security taxes, health insurance, retirement savings, as well as any tools and equipment needed for your profession. Over the past two decades, Republicans and Democrats have come to view the opposing party more negatively. You may also be responsible for buying the tools and equipment needed for your profession. Nearly a third (31%) are younger than 30, compared with 21% of Republican-leaning independents and just 19% and 14%, respectively, among those who identify as Democrats and Republicans. "As a 14-year registered Democrat and 1-year registered Republican, the only advantage I see as registering as an independent is that you don't get bombarded by phone calls and mailers when it comes time for the Primary." For this governor's race, consider being independent of party. Being an independent contractor can be rewarding since it offers you the ability to be your own boss, choose which clients to work for, and allow you to work from home. Advantages of being an independent contractor over being an employee include more control since you're your own boss. You'll also find a bevy of resources on the U.S. Small Business Administration's website. Being totally independent of party you can vote for anyone you want to without feeling like you committed adultery. He didnt represent the ideologies and policies of the Democratic party, but rather pushed an agenda that aligned with the Green Partys socialist and lower-class-first initiative. Agencies may also charge you acommission, which will reduce your compensation (although you can deduct it on your tax returns). Pros of Independence Self-confidence. Successful ballot initiatives can create, change or repeal state and local laws . Are Democratic voters more firm in their voting preferences? Being independent you can think for yourself and not be constrained by party dogma. The concept of a bipartisan system is flawed. You must fund your Social Security and Medicare taxes. Another con of being registered as an Independent is that people feel they have less of if no voice. Within the GOP coalition, 36% of Republican leaners share this view, versus 27% of Republican identifiers. Its about making change. About half of Democratic-leaning independents (48%) said they voted, compared with 59% of Democrats. The voter may abstain from voting if the two choices are not to the voters liking. The drawbacks to being an independent contractor include more responsibility. State elections officials consulted with voting rights advocates and local registrars on the best way forward. Explore each state's voter registration age requirements at USA.gov. In a two-party system, it is not surprising that most Americans view their own party favorably while viewing the opposing party unfavorably. But what about the large share of Americans who identify as independents? You shouldnt be goaded into voting for someone who you dont believe supports your politics. Most people have considered striking out on their own at some point in their career. IRV allows voters to rank the candidates in an election in order of preference, and the candidate with the majority of first-choice votes wins. So be real, most people haven't been to Comicon and don't even HAVE 13 costumes. When voters in 2016 were surveyed on why they supported their specific candidate, Clinton or Trump, most responded with the same answer: I dont like either, but Im voting for the lesser evil.. Trumps rating also was low among independents who have no partisan leanings. Californians have until May 21 to register for the June 5 statewide primary. It is too late for 2016. Remember, though, that these agencies may withhold taxes and collect other deductions from your paychecks, depending on your working relationship with the firm. Right now, independents can certainly run, but they face a low likelihood of winning as they're labeled "spoilers" who will make it harder for the similar, mainstream candidate to win a race.

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