How expansive are the Democratic and Republican Party's tents — and who gets to stand under them? A new survey asked Democrats and Republicans to say which of 26 groups have a place in their party. Members of each party draw very different boundaries for who they think belongs alongside them.
While majorities of Democrats and Republicans say there’s a place for supporters of capitalism, increased police funding, and childhood vaccine mandates, sharp divides emerge on other issues, including abortion, immigration, gender identity, and diversity.
The Democratic Party tent
Majorities of Democrats say there is room in the Democratic Party for people who...
- Support diversity, equity and inclusion (86% say there's a place)
- Support childhood vaccine mandates (84%)
- Are gay or lesbian (77%)
- Support legalizing most abortions (77%)
- Are transgender (76%)
- Are feminists (72%)
- Support increasing funding for the police (68%)
- Believe religion should play no role in government (65%)
- Support democratic socialism (64%)
- Support giving citizenship to most undocumented immigrants (56%)
- Voted for third-party presidential candidate last election (55%)
- Support capitalism (55%)
Fewer than one-third of Democrats say there is a place in the Democratic Party for people who...
- Support authoritarianism (5%)
- Believe white people are biologically superior (7%)
- Support violence as a tool for political change (9%)
- Support banning most abortions (13%)
- Think women shouldn't have the right to vote (14%)
- Think the climate isn't changing (17%)
- Support banning gender-affirming care (17%)
- Oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion (18%)
- Support Christian nationalism (18%)
- Support deporting most undocumented immigrants (19%)
- Oppose same-sex marriage (22%)
- Support abolishing the police (26%)
- Choose not to vaccinate their children (27%)
Many Democrats are unsure about whether there should be a place in the party for people who unconditionally support either the Palestinians or Israel. Slightly more say there is a place than not for people who support the Palestinians unconditionally (31% vs. 25%). The reverse is true for people who support Israel unconditionally: 28% of Democrats say there is a place for them in the party and 32% say there is not.
The Republican Party tent
At least half of Republicans say there is room in the Republican Party for people who...
- Support increasing funding for the police (88% say there's a place)
- Support deporting most undocumented immigrants (82%)
- Support banning most abortions (66%)
- Support banning gender-affirming care (64%)
- Oppose same-sex marriage (63%)
- Support Israel unconditionally (62%)
- Oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion (61%)
- Support capitalism (61%)
- Support Christian nationalism (60%)
- Choose not to vaccinate their children (57%)
- Think the climate isn't changing (54%)
- Support childhood vaccine mandates (51%)
Less than 40% of Republicans say there is a place in the Republican Party for people who...
- Support giving citizenship to most undocumented immigrants (6%)
- Support abolishing the police (7%)
- Support democratic socialism (10%)
- Support violence as a tool for political change (11%)
- Support the Palestinians unconditionally (12%)
- Believe white people are biologically superior (12%)
- Support authoritarianism (18%)
- Think women shouldn't have the right to vote (19%)
- Support legalizing most abortions (22%)
- Are transgender (23%)
- Are feminists (33%)
- Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (37%)
Republicans are most divided on including people who are gay or lesbian (47% say there is a place in the party vs. 41% who say there is not), people who believe religion should play no role in government (43% vs. 40%), and people who voted for a third-party presidential candidate last election (42% vs. 39%).
Among Republicans, men are more likely than women to see a place in the party for several groups. Republican men are more likely than Republican women to say there is a place in the Republican Party for people who oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion (70% vs. 52%), who oppose same-sex marriage (71% vs. 53%), who support banning gender-affirming care (71% vs. 55%), who support banning most abortions (73% vs. 58%), and who think women shouldn't have the right to vote (26% vs. 10%). Republican women are more likely than men to say several other groups have a place in their party, but the margins are small.
Comparing the parties
There are only a handful of groups of people asked about in the poll that majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say are welcome in their respective parties: Those who support increasing funding for the police (68% of Democrats vs. 88% of Republicans), childhood vaccine mandates (84% vs. 51%), and capitalism (55% vs. 61%).
Few Democrats or Republicans say there is a place in their party for people who support authoritarianism (5% of Democrats vs. 18% of Republicans), people who believe white people are biologically superior (7% vs. 12%), people who support violence as a tool for political change (9% vs. 11%), or people who think women shouldn't have the right to vote (14% vs. 18%).
Members of each party differ widely when it comes to including people who hold certain positions on other issues, including abortion, immigration, transgender issues, and religion. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say there is room in their party for people who support legalizing most abortions (77% vs. 22%), are democratic socialists (64% vs. 10%), are transgender (76% vs. 23%), support giving citizenship to most undocumented immigrants (56% vs. 6%), support diversity, equity, and inclusion (86% vs. 37%), and are feminists (72% vs. 33%).
Democrats are less likely than Republicans to say there is room in their party for people who support deporting most undocumented immigrants (19% of Democrats vs. 82% of Republicans), support banning most abortions (13% vs. 66%), support banning gender-affirming care (17% vs. 64%), oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion (18% vs. 61%), support Christian nationalism (18% vs. 60%), and oppose same-sex marriage (22% vs. 63%).
— Carl Bialik contributed to this article
See the results for this YouGov poll
Methodology: This article includes results from an online survey conducted April 9 - 11, 2025 among 1,139 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of adult U.S. citizens. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
Image: Getty
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