Rasmussen Reports

Public opinion polling results by Rasmussen Reports released Monday show a growing desire for a competitive third party.

A telephone and online survey of 1,000 likely voters indicates voters are more receptive to a political third party than they have been in recent years, and more than half now say they have voted for a candidate independent of the two major parties.

A total of 49 percent of likely voters believe it would be good for the United States if there was a truly competitive third political party. That’s up from 44 percent  in April of last year. Ten years ago, 58 percent  of Americans felt that way..

Just 17 percent  think it would be bad for the country if there was a third party that could effectively compete with the Republicans and the Democrats. Twenty-one percent say it would make no political difference, while 12% are undecided.

Fifty-three percent of voters now say they have voted for an independent not affiliated with either major party, up from 39 percent  in March 2016.

The Daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows that 25 percent of likely voters strongly approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing, but 48 percent strongly disapproved. His total approval rating is 41 percent.