Americans Continue to Embrace Political Independence - Polidicks

https://news.gallup.com/poll/245801/americans-continue-embrace-political-independence.aspx Washington, D.C. -- Significantly more U.S. adults continued to identify as political independents (42%) in 2018 than as either Democrats (30%) or Republicans (26%). At least four in 10 Americans have been political independents in seven of the past eight years, including a record-high 43% in 2014.

If only it showed in the polls for presidency

Switched to politically independent when I got my license updated. Some states let you vote in the primaries without being a member of their party. Party loyalty is dangerous because it lets the party leaders know they can do anything and still get your vote. No affiliation makes them work harder for your vote ideally.

idk, everybody I know that is independant is just an edgelord republican that says they are aren't a republican but are anti democrat.

Gee, who woulda thunk that something as complex as the human pysche can't be summed up as either A or B!! I've always maintained I'm not of one party because I know damn well I have some very left leaning views, some very right leaning views, some views in between, and still other things that I'm totally apathetic on in general. Most of my left-leaning views tend to be social issues, a lot of my right leaning views relate mostly to cars and guns. I'm not a democrat, I'm not a republican. Someone who'll advocate for universal healthcare, UBI, free/extremely cheap college for any and all, and then in the same breath turn around and announce that anyone buying a GM 572 crate engine and/or an AR15 rifle gets a tax break. I don't fit into either party well enough to claim membership.

Well, Independent in the US context doesn’t mean ‘must only vote for Independent/third party candidates’. It’s really just a term for swing voters and people who haven’t registered with a political party (even if they consistently vote for that party’s candidates).

Hell, I've seen people like that on these very forums lol

It does; independents don't vote. I'm not even talking about the various "capital-I" Independent state parties, I'm talking about the 42% of Americans who have no political affiliation whatsoever. Of the 51% of Americans who didn't vote in 2016, a majority were independents. Our national stories have a way of coming back to harm us. In the U.S., we put so much stock in notions of rugged individuality and non-comformity that we instinctively shy away from committing to a political party.

The issue here is that the raw numbers would suggest that the Democrats and Republicans are outnumbered but in reality is just one overall heading for all minor parties regardless of their place on the political spectrum.

Maybe an indication that we need more than two major parties

Without any overlap of party politics anymore, it's difficult for any independent I'd imagine to have to side with one over the other when both have some political views they share. That tends to be my problem, neither the Republicans or the Democrats represent all of my beliefs "in a nutshell".

It's not going to show while FPTP is used in elections.