http://people-press.org/report/124/republicans<snip>
An analysis of recent Pew Research Center surveys
Republicans... Who They Are
Despite its resurgence over the past 20 years, the Republican Party has never been numerically superior to the Democratic Party. For most of the 1990's, the two have been essentially equal in this respect. In our most recent surveys, the Center finds 31% of Americans identify themselves as Democrats, 30% as Republicans and 39% as Independent or have no party affiliation. When Independents who say they "lean" to either of the parties are added to those who self-identify, 46% of the voting age population are Republicans or Republican leaners and 46% are Democrats or Democratic leaners.
The two parties draw from different wells, however. Republicans enjoy a clear affiliation edge in many of the demographic categories that make up the traditional core or center of the American electorate. More whites consider themselves Republicans rather than Democrats. Pluralities of suburbanites, Protestants, married people, and those from households with incomes of $30,000 or more also self-identify as Republican. This reflects the Republican party's "main street" advantage. In contrast, the Democratic party is more attractive to less wealthy and minority segments of the electorate. African Americans are overwhelmingly Democrats, as are a plurality of Hispanics, city dwellers, union workers, whites who earn less than $30,000 per year, singles, widows and divorced people, and single moms.
The parties are also differentiated by gender to a significant degree. A slight plurality of men self-identify as Republicans. The Democrats hold a comparable edge among women. Among white males the GOP advantage swells significantly, while the allegiances of white women divide evenly between the parties. A gender gap is also apparent among African Americans. Many more black females than black males self-identify as Democrats, while black men more often call themselves Independent. Only about 1 in 20 black women or men call themselves Republicans.
Generational patterns of partisanship are also apparent. Democrats hold a decided edge among people 65 years and older -- a generation that came of age during the New Deal and which relies increasingly on those government programs like Social Security and Medicare which have historically been more strongly supported by Democrats. Neither party has an advantage among baby boomers (30-49 year olds) or 50 to 64 year olds. Perhaps surprisingly, voters under 30 tilt to the GOP. The partisan gender gap is much more apparent among Americans under 65 years of age than it is among older men and women, who are much more united politically.
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http://people-press.org/report/124/republicans
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