The Decline of Political Party Affiliation
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The United States has two major political parties: Democratic and Republican. Ask an American voter which one she or he sides with, and the most likely answer is: \\u201cneither.\\u201d
Recent polls\\xa0say at least 4 in 10 Americans identify as politically independent, even if they tend to \\u201clean\\u201d Republican or Democratic on the issues. Only 3 in 10\\xa0identify as Democrats and the other 3 in 10 identify as Republicans. The Gallup polling organization calls this a \\u201cnear historical low\\u201d for both major parties.
In 2016, Tom Campbell, a five-term former Republican congressman, made the difficult decision to leave the party and become an Independent. The move was bold and inspiring, and it sparked a growing interest among voters in California who are dissatisfied with partisan politics.\\xa0
His willingness to leave partisan politics behind shows how people can make a difference even when they no longer hold public office, their experiences, and expertise to inform public policy decisions.\\xa0
Tom joined in a call to discuss his experiences and the five key issues affecting the Country today.
- Fairness in the media
- The Twitter Files
- The war between Ukraine and Russia
- The southern border of the United States
- The growing dissatisfaction with the two-party system
Tom Campbell teaches Law at Chapman University and is the Chair of Common Sense California (CACommonSense.org), an organization focused on creating an independent party in California.
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