An Update from the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
A national survey by Catawba College and YouGov of U.S. adults finds that Make America Great Again (MAGA) is viewed as a more consolidated and influential force within the Republican Party than the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is within the Democratic Party. The findings also show that pure independents are more negative toward MAGA than toward DSA, while expressing limited trust in both major political parties.
The survey of 1,200 respondents, weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population, examined attitudes toward MAGA, DSA, and the influence each movement is perceived to have within its respective political party.
Among self-identified Republicans, roughly three in four respondents say they at least somewhat support MAGA, including four in 10 who say they strongly support it. Republicans also broadly see MAGA as influential within their party: about two-thirds say the movement has either a great deal or a fair amount of influence.
At the same time, Republican views of MAGA are not entirely uniform. Nearly one in five Republicans report neither supporting nor opposing MAGA, suggesting that a meaningful minority remains ambivalent even within the party most associated with the movement.
“The results point to a clear unevenness in how these movements are positioned within their respective parties,” said Dr. J. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which wrote and paid for the survey. “MAGA has strong support and is widely seen as influential among Republicans. DSA has meaningful support among Democrats, but Democrats are more likely to describe its role as limited, moderate, or uncertain rather than dominant.”
MAGA SUPPORT AMONG REPUBLICANS IS BROAD AND INTENSE
Among self-identified Republicans, nearly three-quarters (74%) say they strongly or somewhat support MAGA, with less than 10% opposing the movement and nearly two in 10 having no opinion.
Republicans also perceive MAGA as a significant force within the party: two-thirds say MAGA has a great deal or a fair amount of influence within the Republican Party. Only 20% of Republicans say MAGA has some influence, while 7% say MAGA has little or no influence. Another 8% say they are not sure.
The survey also finds that Republicans generally trust their party, though strong institutional trust is lower than MAGA support. About three-quarters express at least some trust in the Republican Party, but fewer than one-third say they have a great deal of trust.
“This suggests that attachment to MAGA may be at least as strong as, and perhaps stronger than, confidence in the Republican Party as an institution,” Bitzer said.
DEMOCRATS VIEW DSA AS MEANINGFUL BUT LESS DOMINANT
Compared with Republicans and MAGA, Democratic attitudes toward DSA are more mixed. Among self-identified Democrats, 61% strongly or somewhat support DSA, with 27% of them expressing strong support for DSA. Almost a third of Democrats (31%) neither support nor oppose DSA, while 8% somewhat or strongly oppose DSA.
Democrats generally believe that DSA has a role within the Democratic Party, but fewer describe that influence as especially strong. A plurality (45%) say DSA has a great deal or a fair amount of influence within the Democratic Party, with a little over a third (35%) who say DSA has some influence. Eleven percent of Democrats say DSA has little or no influence, and another 8% are not sure.
“Unlike Republicans and MAGA, most Democrats see DSA as having at least some influence, but the dominant view is not necessarily that DSA controls or defines the Democratic Party,” Bitzer noted. “The survey suggests that DSA is visible within the Democratic coalition, but that visibility should not be confused with universal enthusiasm or a perception of party-wide dominance.”
Democrats express stronger trust in the Democratic Party than they do opposition to it, with three-quarters (75%) reporting at least some trust in their party. Only 12% report some or a great deal of distrust, while another 13% neither trust nor distrust the party.
EACH PARTY SEES THE OTHER’S MOVEMENT AS INFLUENTIAL
Both Republicans and Democrats tend to see the ideological movement associated with the opposing party as influential. However, Democrats are more likely to view MAGA as a highly influential force within the Republican Party than Republicans are to view DSA as similarly influential within the Democratic Party.
Among Democrats, six in 10 (61%) say MAGA has a great deal or a fair amount of influence in the Republican Party; 44% say MAGA has a great deal of influence.
Among Republicans, half (50%) say DSA has a great deal or a fair amount of influence in the Democratic Party, with 30% who say DSA has a great deal of influence.
“The contrast suggests that MAGA is more widely perceived as central to the Republican Party than DSA is perceived as central to the Democratic Party,” Bitzer said.
INDEPENDENTS EXPRESS LIMITED TRUST IN BOTH PARTIES
Neither major party performs especially well with pure independents. For the Republican Party, only 9% of pure independents report at least some trust, while 48% report some or a great deal of distrust. A significant number (43%) neither trust nor distrust the party.
For the Democratic Party, 16% report at least some trust, with 37% having some or a great deal of distrust. Like the Republican Party, 47% neither trust nor distrust the Democratic Party.
Bitzer said that “the Republican Party’s trust profile is more negative among pure independents, while the Democratic Party’s profile is marked by limited affirmative trust and substantial neutrality.”
PURE INDEPENDENTS ARE SHARPLY NEGATIVE TOWARD MAGA BUT LARGELY NEUTRAL TOWARD DSA
Pure independents — respondents who identify as independents rather than as leaners toward either party — show a distinctly different pattern. While half of pure independents oppose MAGA, only 27% say they oppose DSA. Small percentages support the movements: 9% of pure independents say they strongly or somewhat support MAGA, while 12% say they support DSA.
“The contrast is notable: independents are not highly supportive of DSA, but they are much more likely to be neutral than opposed,” Bitzer noted. “MAGA, by comparison, produces much more direct opposition among independents.”
Pure independents also see MAGA as more clearly influential than DSA, though uncertainty remains substantial: 64% say MAGA has at least some influence within the Republican Party. By comparison, 48% say DSA has at least some influence within the Democratic Party.
“These results may indicate that MAGA is more visible or more clearly defined to independents than DSA,” Bitzer said.
This is the third release from the Catawba College-YouGov September 2026 National Survey. The final release will be on national confidence in elections and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigns and elections, presented at a conference Monday, Sept. 28. For more information, see this media advisory.
The survey was conducted online Sept. 4-9, 2026, by YouGov, which interviewed 1,200 U.S. adults 18 years and older; results are weighted to be representative of U.S. adults. The overall margin of error (adjusted for weights) is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points; subgroups will have higher margins of error. In addition to sampling error, surveys are subject to other kinds of error; all results should be viewed as informative estimates rather than definitive measures of public opinion.
You may find additional details about the poll’s findings, methodology and responses below.
About the Center for NC Politics and Public Service
The Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service at Catawba College is dedicated to enriching civic dialogue, deepening understanding, and fostering engagement within North Carolina. Through non-partisan initiatives, the Center promotes the ideals of public service, civic character and engagement, and informed citizenship across the state. By educating North Carolinians about the state's political dynamics and emphasizing the value of public service, the Center cultivates practical political understanding and encourages active civic participation. In doing so, it helps instill a lasting respect for public life and being a responsible citizen — both among Catawba College students and throughout the wider North Carolina community.
About Catawba College
Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college located in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best regional colleges in the South, Catawba is known for its intellectual rigor, dedicated faculty, beautiful campus, and strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. The College offers more than 70 undergraduate and four graduate programs allowing students to explore diverse interests and create their own academic pathway. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.
