You can also make a comment via social media http twitter. Com cspanwj at. You can also send an email. Record of a 3 of political independence 43 of political independence. Democrats continue to hold a modest edge over republicans 30 226 . Since 2008, the percentage of political independence has steadily climbed from 35 to the current 43 . The recent rise has come at the expense of both parties, but more along democrats than republicans over the last six years. Democratic identification has fallen from 36 to 30 . Republican identification isnt down from 28 in 2008 2 26 last year. You can see this chart at 43 of americans identified as independent. 26 identify as republicans and 30 of democrats. 202748 84,000 is the number four eastern and 202748 8001 four mountain and pacific time zones. Rich will be out here. The partisan divide congress in crisis. There is a chapter on the role of independence in the book. Here is a little bit of what they write. A few fundamentals are important in understanding who independent voters tend to be. They are less partisan by nature due to electoral behavior. This is statistically a large difference between partisan and independence. That is not to say many independent do not behave as partisans, but on balance they are less inclined to do so. They are more moderate than party voters. Survey after survey on topics from guns to abortion to taxes with independent voters in between the selfdescribed republicans and selfdescribed democrats. That is not to ignore the fact that there are many independents who are so registered and identified because they believe the republicans and democrats are not ideological enough. Senator Bernie Sanders of vermont, an independent certainly fits that mold on the left. But on balance, they tend to be less ideological and more moderate. First call comes from clarence. Parents, why are you an independent and what does that mean . Caller i do not believe in either party. Basically i used to be a police officer. In the past 25 or 30 years, both parties have adopted a technique of good cop and backup. It seems like it is the game they played. When they are in the office there are good. And vice versa. I think the American Public is finally realizing. There is no immigrant and republican there is no two parties, there is only one. Look at all of the fundamental facts of the parties. We are right now talking about terrorism in france where 12 people were killed, and it is absurd when there have been 25 People Killed in chicago every day. Terrorism is the only thing terrifying the public and it is what both parties do and how they succeed. I will close on that point. Host what does an issue that is important to you . Caller pretty much the media. We have a conglomerate of the media owned by businesses. They are owned by the people who profit from all of this year. I mean profit immensely. When they complain about regulation and it made 29 billion in profit last year. It is absurd and we cannot have a head start. Poor people are starving to death and we complain education is offered to the poor and middle class, which there is no middle class. If you cannot survive in this country with three paychecks, then you are poor. A lot of people believe they are middleclass when they are poor. It is a fantasy. Host that was clarence in virginia. This is karen in illinois. What does it mean to be an independent in your view . Caller i am looking for a party in the middle and there isnt any. The republicans are far too bright and the democrats are far to left. Host can you give an issue that you think is caller i think the republicans are an advocate for the rich. The democrat side, you have the parts of the left i do not like immigration policy that is coming out. I am not crazy about the education policy that pays for two years of college. I do not think Everybody Needs to be in college. Students do not take advantage of their primary education and then we will pay for extra education . I just think that taxpayers need a break. Host ok, karen. Taking what you said, how do you vote in the 2012 election for president . Caller in the president ial election, i voted for obama because i could not vote for romney because i just could not vote for someone who sent jobs overseas. Host how did you vote in the last Congressional Election . You have a republican governor in illinois for the first time in a long time, how did you vote there . Caller for the governor . The same thing the republican candidate has a history of sending jobs overseas and i cannot vote for any candidate that sends one job overseas. We need jobs in america. Republicans do not seem to understand that. I promised myself i would vote for the republican candidate for governor because i really did not like the democratic governor. Once he started running and i saw how he made his millions of dollars, i cannot vote for him. Host thank you. Make in tennessee. What does being an independent me to you . Caller let me preface it this way, i was a liberal democrat, and socalled moderate republican. Now i consider myself a constitutional conservative. I am one of those people who progresses and can be republicans or democrats. I cannot stand bibles, guns, while it, and constitutions. My whole philosophy is since 1913 when the federal income tax came in place, the federal government has gone. It is a monster. We suffer from two diseases. Little correctness and economic dope addiction. It is the bastardization of the language, i can elaborate. Host what do you mean by that very quickly . Caller the bastardization of the language . They take words like, pretty obvious, islamist terrorists in texas. It is considered workplace violence. They turn the language around to suit them. Any progressive noun. The top tier in the Republican Party is progressives. We have a revolution coming up in the Republican Party is evolving which i have all four. The Democratic Party, i am sorry. They are so stymied that it is impossible. Finally, finally, people realized that the government is the problem. As Ronald Reagan put it. I am on that last, but i am for smaller government. That is a tall order. Host nick in fairview, tennessee. This is robert in california. Good morning, robert. Caller good morning. How are you . Host why are you an independent . Caller i am still a registered democrat, that i am so disgusted with our president. It is incredibly disappointing. You know, i am, that is all i can say. Host doesnt that make you an independent . Would you consider voting for a republican . What is an issue that is important to you that the president has disappointed you want . Caller competency, honesty this obamacare is the lies deception, you know, either party i would vote for anyone that i deemed or believed to be honest and sincere. I think we have an integrity problem here with this administration. It is the worst i have ever seen. Host back to the partisan divide, former congressman frost and tom davis have written this along with rich color and. Here is more from an independent chapter. Those who hold liberal and conservative views and hold strongly negative views of the other Political Party are far more likely to participate in the political process than the rest of the nation according to a research center. Many states forbid independent from participating in primaries. Restricting the electorate to more ideological resistance. Other states allow independents to vote in Party Primaries and some states have no research and you can participate in Party Nominations because they have no party registration. In texas, good morning. What is an independent in your view . Caller it goes along with what you are saying there. Independents have got a situation where in the primaries we do not have a choice. You go with the republicans or we go with the democrats. Right now, i see a disconnect. There is a disconnect between washington and both parties republican and democrat are not in any way addressing the issues of the middle class or of the regular electorate or people. We have Serious Problems that are not being addressed. For example, i saw someone criticize the media in the dallas, fort worth area where the muslims are coming out in a rally because they feel they have been slandered or insulted mohammed. I do not think we have any kind of issue other than provocation and what is the American People doing. All the Political Parties and people in washington do not say anything about it. The media does not say anything. Issues like that make me an independent. Depending on the issue is whether i will vote for a democrat or republican. A lot of times as an independent, we have no choice especially in the primaries. Host spartanburg, South Carolina. Hi, george. Caller good morning. I independent and have been one for a long time. I actually taught american government, international studies, law for about 25 and 30 years. I am retired now. I have always felt that the independents were probably the Fastest Growing sector in the country. I think most people in this country are moderate centrist. I think that is why you have changes in congress and people want something done. I do not think you have mandates the way some of the extremists on either the left or right think when they go into an election. I think that is where the action is. For example, i believe and support certain things that the Democratic Party supports like the health care, although i think obamacare has turned out to be a mess. I dont think they anticipated some of the problems there. I support gun control, but on the other hand, i support some economic proposals coming from the proposals. Such as reforming the tax system especially Corporate Tax to get is on par with the other countries around the world so we can compete. I think that is where all the action is and that has white i have been independent. That is why i have been an independent. I have been teaching my class is more liberal, but i think a majority of the country is in the center and that is where elections are won or lost. The other thing is i believe, in terms of what we ought to do, we have to pay more attention to maybe what goes on around the world and use those folks experiences and do some things in our form of government that we do not do. Health care for example is a great example of that. We are one of the only industrialized countries in the world that has this discombobulated system with Health Insurance companies. Host as a political independent, have you felt sidelined in the political process when it comes to primaries sometimes . Caller yes. You know, here in South Carolina when i was younger and growing up in college, it was all the Democratic Party. They were in control. You know, it was almost heresy to the republicans could win seats. As time went by, especially after reagan was elected, the south shifted more toward the republicans. It is almost difficult sometimes to really find a home. I have always been the type of person who tends to vote on issues and the candidates rather than just going in and yanking a lever from one party or the other. Host thank you, we appreciate your time. Here is a chart of partisan divide book. The authors will be out here later. You can see independent registration in some states. Massachusetts even though it is a solid Democratic State hitting 2 are independent. Connecticut, 43 . New york, 26 . New jersey, 47 . Colorado, 34 . California, 27 . Maine, 40 . 58 in alaska. They consider themselves to be independents. Who are the real independent voters . And how late different from party voters and how do they differ party voters question mark . It is their tendency toward electoral aloofness. A 10 to be less interested, less involved, and less connected to the political process; and they are much less likely to vote. In close races, they tend to break for the winners. Thus, races with Party Primaries and one party constituencies, independent voters are irrelevant. This is from the partisan divide. Finally, as the old saying goes, liberals and conservatives have moderates and independent lives. Howard is in california. Hello. Caller good morning. I have been an independent or most of my life, and the thing that bothers me the most nowadays are the corporate takeovers of both parties. I would point out that just recently at 35, a plane from what i understand, a jet fighter, will hardly fly. We still have 1. 5 trillion on that plane and Congress Just recently voted in another 500 billion. How would that have helped Affordable Care act . And i support that. Why would they not have a singlepayer for that . Gerrymandering seems to be the number one problem in america. I think that is why the conservatives and republicans just want all across the United States. It is not because everybody is conservative or liberal, gerrymandering has made it very hard for any independent or freethinker that is not with the party to actually get elected. Host you state doubt three liberal or democratic positions how does that make you an independent . [laughter] caller that is a good one. I just do not belong to the party, that is what makes me an independent. I do not identify with either party on paper. They do get to vote in the primaries, and we got rid of gerrymandering in california a few years back. We have a much more open process in california. You can vote for the first or second people with the highest votes, whether it is to democrat or one democrats. Host you have a winner takes all. Caller yes, and that is a Great Program i think. Host we have maria in woodberry, new jersey. Why are you independent and what does it mean . Caller hello. The reason is because i have been through all the changes of democrat and republican. As many have said, there is actually one party that is owned. They made it possible for people relatives of people in congress to be i think we need to have people on the ballot not with money. The Constitution Party and american Citizens Party need to get involved before 2016. The main thing i am an independent for is because we should not be involved in globalization. Trade agreements should be abrogated and we should bring our troops and jobs back home. I think we can do it if we banned together. Thank you to cspan. Host that was in maria. This is a call from alabama. Caller good morning. Thank you for cspan, i love the show. I am a long time independent. That means i look more at the candidate and particular issues, and that is what determines my vote. Host what is an issue that is important to you . Caller there are a variety of issues. For example, the opening up of relations with cuba. I think that is long overdue. I think there is a way to go about it and so forth, but i am surprised at how long it took. I am also a fan of securing the border, but we have to come up with a reasonable solution to deal with the 11 or 12 million illegals that are in the country already. Just one day or two ago, for example, they have to secure the border to deal with the folks and take them into society and let them become taxpayers and support forth. I think that made a lot of sense. I take issue you had a commentary on the editorial that talks about the tendencies toward aloofness, and i could not disagree with that more. I am very involved. I tried to understand issues and become involved in the understanding of them. I have heard this before, that independent do not have a lot of political resolve and i disagree with that. Im sure there are some that are like that, but that part of the book is just wrong. Host back to the partisan divide, which we have been reading from this morning. The coauthors will be out here a little bit later. We will take your calls and talk about issues. Most independent r d spectators and are not involved in the nomination process. Not all selfprofessed independence came independently. There is a substantial body of evidence to show that many selfdeclared independence are in fact partisans. Political scientists, william they are in his classic book the swing voter in american politics, notes that these hidden partisans embrace the independent label and the residences of civic virtue associated with it but their actual attitudes and voting behavior are every bit as partisan as those who embrace party labels more openly, dale in massachusetts. Caller good morning. I was a republican and went to independent. There is no difference between either one of them. You know, i have an idea. We have a couple of years, less than a couple of years, until the next election. If cspan could have a series that deals with terminals. Maybe have someone on from every state. Maybe one or two states a week or so and see if we can get a binding ballot question. To see what the people want. If you leave it up to the politicians, you know which way they are going to go. If cspan, if it is in your preemie, to let the people of america tell the politicians what we think and why we think it, and then and that has been much too long. Host jerry in North Carolina. Caller peter, great sweater. Host a lot of pink there, isnt it . Caller yes, but it goes well. It goes well. I am from North Carolina and down here, we are not called independents, we are called unaffiliated. From time to time, i have been a registered democrat and a registered republican, it just depends on who i want to vote against in the primaries. I keep two email addresses for political stuff. One is republican, obviously, and one is democratic, obviously. All they ever really say is that they want money. I have to admit that the republican side says some really hateful, hateful stuff. I tell you, it bums me out when i read that. But then, they both come back and say money, money, money. Two dollars here, three dollars here. If they get you to give a little bit, he will keep on making you give. It will start a chain. As far as somebody for president , Bernie Sanders. Host you would not consider yourself to be a political moderate . Is that fair . C