Is There Room for a Third Party? Yes.
The 2022 election was a high-water mark with Independents as a percentage of the electorate, comprising 31% of the electorate. From 2020 exit polls, 26% of the electorate identifies as conservative Republican, 17% as liberal Democrats, and 57% is everyone else. These percentages indicate the majority of the electorate does not consider themselves as either party’s base. [Winston Group 11/17/2023]
Young voters (respondents aged 18-29) support more environmental regulation than the general electorate.
| General Electorate | Young Voters | |
|---|---|---|
| Give the Environmental Protection Agency power to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. | 66% | 71% |
| 2020 | 2022 | |
| Raise the average fuel efficiency for all cars and trucks in the U.S. from 40 miles per gallon to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. | 69% | 75% |
Young voters are further left on immigration than the general electorate.
| General Electorate | Young Voters | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant legal status to all illegal immigrants who have held jobs and paid taxes for at least 3 years. | 68% | 78% |
When did shoppers say they planned to start holiday shopping? In a survey conducted September 1-14:
- Started before taking survey 14%
- Planned to start in September 10%
- In October 17%
- In November 39%
- In December 20%
In 2021, Walmart sourced $13.3 billion in goods and services from roughly 2,600 diverse small businesses. [Axios]
1,150 guns, more than six a day on average, were found in K-12 campuses last year according to a WP investigation, the true number may be higher. [WP 10/11/23]
The average time of a nine-inning Major League Baseball game fell to just under 2 hours and 40 minutes, 24 minutes less than last season and the shortest since 1985. [WP 11/13/23]
About a hundred people and one million wild animals are killed by cars every day in the United States, home of the world’s longest road network. [NYT 10/8/23]
The number of Americans who were food insecure soared in 2022. The share of households that couldn’t reliably afford food rose to 12.8% from 10.2%.
Among households with children, 17.3% were food insecure, up 5 percentage points from the previous year, 22% of Black (non-Hispanic) households with 21% of Hispanic households.
The numbers are higher for those with children under 6 years old (17%) and households headed by a single mother (33%). [Axios Markets 10/27/23]
Fewer people are going to movies, theaters, and museums. 48% of adults reported attending at least one arts event from July 2021 to July 2022. That number represents a six-point drop from the most recent survey in 2017.
White people were the least likely ethnic demographic to engage with the arts digitally, at 64% compared with 81% Black respondents, 73% of Hispanic respondents and 89% of other ethnicities.
After movie theaters enjoyed five straight years of hitting $11 billion at the domestic box office from 2015 to 2019, the total gross was only $7.3 billion in 2022. [WP 10/18/23]
Most Americans say expectations of tipping have spread to more places. Here are the percentage of U.S. adults who say that tipping is expected, compared to five years ago.
- More places – 72%
- About the same number of places – 23%
- Fewer places – 5%
American tipping habits vary across service settings. Here are the % of adults who say they leave a tip when:
| More of a choice | More of an obligation | Depends on the situation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 21 | 29 | 49 |
| Age 18-29 | 15 | 38 | 42 |
| 30-49 | 19 | 31 | 50 |
| 50-64 | 23 | 25 | 52 |
| 65+ | 29 | 24 | 46 |
Most Americans say tips should stay with restaurant servers. Tips are pooled together and then shared among:
- All the servers 13%
- The entire staff 14%
- Each server keeps all of the money they receive in tips 72%
[PEW 7/27/23 and 11/9/23]
A survey published in June by the financial website Bankrate found that two-thirds of Americans had a negative view of tipping, while about one-third felt that tipping culture was “out of control.” [NYT 11/18/23]
Generations defined and reminded.
- Generation Z – ages 7-22
- Millennials – ages 23-38
- Generation X – ages 39-54
- Boomers – ages 55-73
- Silent – ages 74-91
[PEW 10/18/23]
Passwords
Many Americans are overwhelmed by keeping up with passwords – and nearly half forego secure ones.
% of U.S. adults who say they:
- Feel overwhelmed by the passwords they have to keep track of – 69%
- Generally, create passwords that are easier to remember – 46%
- Feel anxious about whether the passwords they use are strong and secure – 45%
[PEW 10/18/23]
Growing shares of Republicans say they are worried about how the government uses their personal data.
| 2019 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 64% | 71% |
| Rep/Lean R | 63% | 77% |
| Dem/Lean D | 66% | 65% |
[PEW 10/18/23]
70% of Americans think marijuana use should be legal. More than half of Americans live in states where marijuana will soon be legal. Gallup found that 87% of Democrats, 70% of Independents and 55% of Republicans back legal marijuana.
176 million people in the U.S. will live in states where recreational use is allowed after Ohio voted to legalize marijuana.
The legalized marijuana market is worth $64 billion. [Axios PM 11/08/23]
| America’s best days are now behind us | Since the 1950s American culture has mostly changed for the worse | |
|---|---|---|
| All Americans | 52% | 55% |
| Republican | 67% | 73% |
| Independent | 55% | 57% |
| Democrat | 35% | 34% |
[American values survey 10/25/23]
As of October 2023, the percentage of U.S. adults who have a great deal of confidence in the:
- Military 26%
- Medical scientists 25%
- Scientists 23%
- Police Officers 19%
- Public School principals 14%
- Religious leaders 11%
- Journalists6%
- Business leaders 3%
- Elected officials 2%
Percentage of U.S. adults who have a great deal of confidence in scientists:
- 30% of college graduates
- 45% Dem/lean Dem
- 12% GOP/lean GOP
- 20% with Some college or less
- 12% Dem/lean Dem
- 10% GOP/lean GOP
[PEW 11/14/23]