Pew Typologies, part 1

The Pew Research Center produces some of the top material on contemporary politics. This week the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press (one of the Pew Research Center’s seven “projects”) released a new set of polling data with findings about nine contemporary U.S. political types.

The new Pew typology moves beyond the usual two- or even three-dimensional political spectrum to try identifying the salient clusters of voters in the current moment. Instead, the study provides a snapshot of the electorate at this particular time and a sense of the internal logic of each group of voters.

But before you dive into the particulars of the findings, I suggest you take the Center’s short, online quiz to determine which cluster you belong to. Then read more about the report and results. I can assure you that Republican presidential campaigns are pouring over them trying to figure out how to win their party’s nomination and that Obama’s campaign is using the numbers to try to figure out how to shore up the Democratic-leaning groups and win over some of the independents. For the rest of us, interpreting the coming elections through the light of the Pew typologies should provide plenty of insight.

One Response to Pew Typologies, part 1
  1. kaahl
    August 3, 2011 | 4:37 am

    ok, i will take the quiz, but don’t be so bossy.