Well, 2026 is off to an interesting start. American citizens are being executed in the streets. A new club to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza with a billion-dollar anti called the Ministry of Peace (sorry, Board of Peace). And Mark Carney gave one of the most forceful and polite “FU” to the US to date. Really looking forward to February.

For ten years, it has felt like both political parties in the United States have been hanging on by a thread when it comes to the coalitions living under each tent. Thanks to our Founding Fathers, we are stuck in a de facto two-party system, which does not feel capable of living up to the times we are currently in. Most Western countries have a parliamentary system that allows, in theory, for more flexibility and the ability for parties to focus more on their supporters (versus having to build impossible bridges to multiple constituencies). These systems also allow for more strategic coalitions and take power away from extremist ends of the political spectrum.

While a revamp of the Constitution 250 years after our independence feels like a near-zero proposition, we thought it would be interesting to see what the political parties would look like in the US if we moved to a parliamentary system. Over the past two months, we have asked over 2,000 American adults which type of party they could choose if the current two-party system were to go away, and which would be their second choice. The results are interesting, to say the least.

Top Choice

Overall, Americans would divide almost evenly between left-leaning groups and right-leaning groups. While this is not shocking given our current environment, the breakdown within the two sides of the spectrum is fascinating.

On the left side of the spectrum, there were four choices given. For each choice, we provided a brief description of what that theoretical party would focus on. Sixteen percent (16%) said their first choice would be a Socialist Party (a party that focuses on income inequality, limiting the power of corporations, and increasing the living standards of low-income people). An equal number said that their first choice would be a Center-Left Party (a party supporting a balance between a regulated economy and social justice).

In between these hypothetical parties were a Labor Party (focused on working-class people and increasing the quality of life for the working class) and a Green Party (focused mainly on environmental issues, pollution regulation, and increasing the quality of our air and water). Support for these parties (14% and 6%, respectively) put the left-of-center groups at 52% of the overall population.

On the right side of the spectrum, there were three party types given as choices: a Center-Right Party (focused on small government, law and order, freedom of religion, and strong national security), a Conservative Christian Party (focused on the rights and advancement of Judeo-Christian beliefs), and a Far-Right Party (supports strict limits on immigration and reduction in national sovereignty). Overall, a quarter of Americans picked the Center-Right Party (the largest concentration of the parties provided), while 17% felt that a Conservative Christian Party would be their natural home, and 6% chose the Far-Right Party as their first choice.

Looking at the breakdowns by age, the results are not completely surprising. Millennials are more left-leaning and have the highest concentration of those who would find a home in a party focused on limiting corporate power and income inequality, as well as the Green Party. The Labor Party has the lowest concentration of support, as do the Center-Right Party and the Conservative Christian Party. At the same time, a Far-Right Party has the biggest concentration among this generation (albeit still below 10%).

The results by education and gender are also telling, especially when it comes to the differences between college-educated men and women. A majority of college-educated women (55%) would likely support a left-leaning party, while 52% of college men fall into the same category. The biggest difference on this side of the political spectrum is support for a Green Party, with 8% of college-educated women picking this party as their first choice compared to 4% of college men.

The right side of the spectrum is where we see the biggest differences. College-educated women divide closely between a Center-Right Party (20%) and a Conservative Christian Party (17%), with 8% choosing a Far-Right Party focused on immigration. College-educated men are far more concentrated when it comes to a Center-Right Party, where just over a third (34%) would find a home. This is by far the biggest group among this cohort across the spectrum. Also interesting to note is how few college-educated men (1%) choose the Far-Right Party.

Looking at how the preferred party in a parliamentary system matches up with our current system is interesting to say the least. Among Americans who consider themselves to be Republicans, two-thirds pick a right-leaning party. The largest concentration is a Center-Right party (37%), followed by 25% who would feel more at home in a Conservative Christian Party. Just 4% say they would pick a Far-Right Party.

For those who consider themselves to be Democrats, there is a mean even divide between those who would gravitate to a Center-Left Party and those who would feel more at home in a more socialist-focused party. An additional 19% would choose a Green Party (7%) or a Labor Party (12%).

For both Democrats and Republicans, there is a significant proportion who would choose a party that is more aligned with the other side of the US aisle. Over a quarter of Democrats (28%) would choose a right-leaning party, including 8% who would choose a Far-Right party focused on immigration, while 12% would choose a more classic Center-Right and 8% a Christian Conservative. For Republicans, 14% would choose a Labor Party, while 9% would choose a more classic Center-Left, and 6% would choose a Socialist Party.

Independents are typically described as being in between the two parties, but that is a very small proportion. Most voters do not feel aligned with either party as they currently stand today, versus a cohort of voters who are looking for a purely centrist party.

Looking at the 2024 Presidential vote, we see a very similar pattern to the Party ID breakdown. Just 4% of Trump voters would choose a Far-Right party, while 25% would be more comfortable with a Conservative Christian party and 38% a Center-Right party. In a parliamentary system, the Center-Right would be the main holder of power, with the other groups in a power-sharing agreement. For Harris voters, there is a familiar even divide between the Center-Left and the Socialist Party, a struggle that has been common for decades. The theoretical power sharing in this coalition would be less clear-cut, but certainly easier to navigate with voters in different areas of the country.

As mentioned earlier, the expectation of our system of government changing is at zero, but these numbers certainly show how our two-party system is not necessarily the best way to represent Americans in our current world order. In our next post, we’ll look at the second choice voters have for their preferred party.

Check out our website for the interactive graph of this data

The Lincoln Park Strategies Team

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