Forget Red and Blue. Pew Maps 9 Political Identities

American voters may talk red and blue, but the Pew Research Center says the map really comes in nine shades. A new 2026 "political typology" survey of more than 10,000 adults sorts the public into value-based clusters that often cut across party lines. The categories were carved out based on nuanced responses to questions on economic issues, immigration, the role of government, and more.

• See where you fit: Pew provides this political quiz to help people figure out which of the nine groups they're in.

• Four on the edges: On the ideological edges sit four highly engaged blocs: the No Apologies Right (9% of respondents) and Faith First Conservatives (12%) on one side; very liberal, party-skeptical Leftward Progressives (7%) and more institution-trusting Loyal Liberals (11%) on the other. The No Apologies Right is the only group with a majority (53%) that approves of politicians humiliating their opponents, notes the Washington Post.
• Five others: But most Americans fall into five murkier camps: the Unconventional Right (12%) and the Pragmatic and Polite Right (11%) are both generally Republican-leaning but more split on President Trump, immigration, and tone; the large, diverse Order and Opportunity Left (18%) is economically liberal but more wary on crime and immigration; the Left-Out Left (12%) is financially strained and disillusioned; the Tuned-Out Middle (9%) is low on interest and divided in its views.
• Big picture: "Most Americans fall into groups within a large, politically messy center—even as many of them clearly favor one party over the other," per Pew. That underscores the challenge for both parties: assembling winning coalitions from voters whose values don't fit neatly into either side's platform. See the full report for more detailed breakdowns.