New Study Examines What Voter Preferences Would Be if the US had a Multi-Party System Like W. Europe

A fascinating new study by the data research firm, Echelon Insights, explored what American politics might look like if we had five major political parties like many Western European nations. Registered voters in the study were given five choices and a description of each party's priorities.
NATIONALIST - Stop illegal immigration, put America First, stand up to political correctness, and end unfair trade deals
CONSERVATIVE - Defend the American system of free enterprise, promote traditional family values, and ensure a strong military
ACELA - Advance social progress including women’s rights and LGBTQ rights, work with other countries through free trade and diplomacy, cut the deficit, and reform capitalism with sensible regulation
LABOR - Put the middle class first, pass universal health insurance, strengthen labor unions, and raise taxes on the wealthy to support programs for those less well off
GREEN - Pass a Green New Deal to build a carbon-free economy with jobs for all, break up big corporations, end systemic inequality, and promote social and economic justice
As with our two party system, voters would not find a perfect ideological fit, but their construct helps us better understand the components of each of our current political parties. For instance, their "Conservative" and "Nationalist" parties represent the GOP and Donald Trump's base, while the other three capture ideas usually associated with the Democratic Party. When you break down the results, however, it's not quite that simple.
Echelon surveyed 1,002 registered voters across the country in October to find out which of these five parties best represented the respondents' ideological preferences. Here is what they found.
- 28% Labor (working class, center-left)
- 21% Conservative (traditional Republicans, pre-Trump)
- 19% Nationalist (Trump Republicans)
- 12% “Acela Party” (socially liberal, globalist, fiscally centrist)
- 10% Green
Echelon also breaks down their results by demographics such as education and current party affiliation. You can read more here. There are some surprises.
Which of their five parties best represents your ideology?
By Don Lam & Curated Content