Number of Americans Associated With Either Party At Near Historic Lows

A new poll shows that the number of citizens who identify with the Democratic or the Republican parties are at a near all time low. Only 29 percent of respondents in a Gallup survey identify as Democrats (the lowest point in 27 years). Only 26 percent defined themselves as Republicans in 2015. Thus, while the number of Americans in either party has fallen to near all-time lows, there remains virtually no choice other than those selected by the two parties as leaders.  Another surprising poll, however, says that 20 percent of Democrats might support Trump in the general.  Some 14 percent of Republicans said that they might support Clinton in the general election.

Roughly four in ten U.S. adults now say they are political independents, though the Democrats have a slight advantage on how independents lean.

In the meantime, critics within the Democratic party have increasingly accused party leaders like Debbie Wasserman-Schulz of openly rigging the process for Hillary Clinton while critics in the Republican Party say Donald Trump will destroy the GOP.

The result is a growing political crisis of disaffected and alienated voters, which explains the popularity of candidates like Trump. The perception of a duopoly is likely to increase the anger of the near majority in the country rejecting both parties. That can produce a dangerous disassociation of the public from their government.