If you were a news junkie like I was this past election cycle, you might have seen a headline pop up at a number of outlets that went something like, “Voters Who Identify as Independents Skyrocket!”. If this is to be believed, then Republicans and Democrats have both lost to the hidden Independent majority. At least, that would be true if we really were all Independents.
The stats are real, but misleading. As of 2024, roughly 28% of Americans were registered Republicans and 28% Democrats, while almost 43% were registered as Independents [1]. Staggering numbers? Well, before you join the bandwagon and give your own “declaration of Independents” (wink, wink), consider this: those who register as Independents often have political leanings as consistent as the strongest partisans.
First reported by BYU’s very own Professor David Magleby in The Myth of the Independent Voter, only 10% of registered Independents are actually independent in nature. The vast majority of registered Independents are highly likely to have consistent left or right political leanings despite their apparent misgivings towards registered partisanship [2].
So, what does this mean? Well, although grabby-headline outlets would have you believe political change is on the horizon, that’s hardly the case. What it does say, however, is that despite Americans’ still consistent partisan leanings, more people are hesitant to officially align themselves with either party. This has major consequences.
Too often, people relegate political activism to voting days, unaware that half the battle was already fought months before in caucus nights and committee meetings. Take states like Utah and Hawaii. In Utah, Republicans haven’t lost a statewide office in 40 years, and in Hawaii, Democrats haven’t lost a statewide office in 50 years (besides a small stint in 2002).[3]
The real power isn’t in casting a ballot, but rather in creating the ballot itself. In politically homogeneous states, which are becoming increasingly common [4], who ends up in Congress is usually determined at the Primary level, or worse, even earlier with party maneuvering that determines who is allowed on the ballot.
If parties operate using a closed primary system, anyone registered as an Independent loses immense political power especially in one-sided states. Utah is a great example of this, where only registered Republicans are allowed to vote in the Primaries, although many other states, Republican or Democrat, employ similar tactics. While we can bemoan party tactics, it personally irks me to hear someone claim, as if righteously, that they registered as an Independent. To me, it means they willfully gave up political power.
But why is political power so important? Some may call this narcissistic or medieval, but it’s simply the name of the game. In his book, Politics is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change, Eitan Hersh aptly states, “We’re trying to teach… that voting is a gift we give people we love. We want to connect our love of our family and friends to policies we think support those who we love.” [5] In this sense, the desire for political power is simply the same drive to love and serve others.
President Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles put it even more succinctly, “We should be knowledgeable citizens who are active in making our influence felt in civic affairs.” [6] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has even encouraged members within the Utah area to attend their caucus meetings and not to schedule church events at the same time. [7]
Recognizing the value of partisan civic engagement, I come now to my invitation: join a party! We should seek to be more engaged within our communities, especially through civic and partisan means. A political party may not accurately represent all of your views; indeed, President Oaks admonishes us that it probably will not and should not.
But if anything, this is even more reason to be involved. Who do you think decides a party platform? Too often, we forget that parties are beholden to the people and not the other way around. Criticizing your own party in pursuit of its overall defense and improvement is even patriotic as philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre alludes.
In his lecture, “Is Patriotism A Virtue?” MacIntyre theorizes that patriotism should mean holding the nation as the primary object of regard. However, he asserts that while the nation as an ideal and project should be exempt from criticism, the makeup of its government and policies should never be exempt from critiques.
Now, while I do not place the American democratic project on the same pedestal as the Republican or Democratic Parties, I do believe MacIntyre’s point offers a great model for the partisan. Being an avid supporter of a political party still allows for healthy disagreement with its policies and structure.
I leave with this: joining a mainstream political party opens up avenues for political power that are closed to many “Independents”, and joining does not mean you agree with every aspect. If anything, the greatest power you can have is in changing the institution itself and moving the party forward in its quest to serve the people.
In the past, Republicans and Democrats were not so polarized, and I believe more partisan involvement would actually increase mutual understanding and respect if done thoughtfully. So why wait? Join the party.
