Pew political typology

Pew Research have an interesting typology for breaking Americans into political tendencies which attempts to be more sophisticated than the classic linear political spectrum (or libertarians' two-dimensional political compass), offering nine types.

Persuasive Litigator offers a useful summary:

Solid Liberals

• Largely white
• Well-educated (most are college graduates and nearly a third have a postgraduate degree)
• Express liberal attitudes on virtually every issue
• Highly likely to have acted in or contributed to protests against President Trump in the past year

Opportunity Democrats

• Agree with Solid Liberals on major issues
• But less affluent and less politically engaged
• Somewhat less liberal, both in their attitudes on issues and in their self-descriptions
• More likely than solid liberals to support corporations and large companies
• Believe that most people can get ahead if they are willing to work hard

Disaffected Democrats

• Disproportionately racial minority
• While holding positive feelings toward the Democratic Party and its leading figures, they are cynical about politics, government and the course of the country
• Financially stressed
• Supports activist government and the social safety net, but most say government is “wasteful and inefficient”
• Most believe their side has been losing in politics
• Fewer than half believe that voting gives them a say in how the government runs things

Devout and Diverse

• Faces higher financial hardships than Disaffected Democrats
• Most religiously-observant of all Democrat-leaning group
• Least politically engaged of all Democrat-leaning groups
• About a quarter lean Republican
• Critical of government regulation of business

Core Conservatives

• Only 13 percent of the public, but 43 percent of politically engaged Republicans
• Financially comfortable and male-dominated
• Overwhelmingly supports smaller government, lower corporate tax rates
• Believes in the fairness of the nation’s economic system
• Expresses a positive view of U.S. involvement in the global economy

Country-First Conservatives

• Older than other Republican-leaning groups
• Less educated than other Republican-leaning groups
• Unhappy with country’s  course
• Focused on immigration and globalism (both being negative)

Market Skeptic Republicans

• Like other Republican-leaning groups but sharply diverging from others on financial issues
• Only about a third of Market Skeptic Republicans say banks and other financial institutions have a positive effect on the way things are going in the country
• Supports raising taxes on corporations and large businesses
• Believes that the economic system favors powerful interests

New Era Enterprisers

• Fundamentally optimistic about the state of the nation and its future
• More likely than any other typology group to say the next generation of Americans will have it better than people today.
• Younger and somewhat less overwhelmingly white than the other GOP-leaning groups
• Strongly pro-business
• Generally thinks that immigrants strengthen, rather than burden, the country

Bystanders

• Non-voters
• Non-affiliated with any party
• Not engaged by the political process
• Not interested or informed in political issues

I have some reservations about this typology, in part egocentrically I cannot find myself on it, and I suspect that the types are quickly shifting in this moment of political reälignment — but digging into the detailed Pew description is worth your time if you care about this stuff.