Number of Americans who identify as Democrats hits lowest level in 27 years

(Image credit: WILL OLIVER/AFP/Getty Images)

There are far fewer people who identify as either Republicans or Democrats these days, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. Instead, political independents maintain their lead as the dominant voting group for the fifth consecutive year. Gallup reports that only 26 percent of Americans identify as Republicans and 29 percent identify as Democrats, with an entire 42 percent calling themselves independents.

Due to the rise of independents, Americans who call themselves Democrats have hit their lowest levels in 27 years. However, among political independents, 16 percent say they lean toward the Democratic party, giving Democrats a total of about 45 percent of the American population. While about 16 percent of independents lean toward the Republican Party as well, the combined total of the U.S. population is lower, at 42 percent.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.