Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, the differences between liberal and conservative ideology are stark. Liberals lean left on social issues and support more gun control and anti-war measures. Conservatives lean right on the issue of national security, defense spending, and abortion.

The Democratic Party has changed substantially over the years. The party has gone much further to the left than the country as a whole. The party has been accused of being too liberal on social issues and being in the pocket of special interests.

There has been a major shift in the demographic composition of the party. While white voters remain the largest Democratic coalition, nonwhite voters have made a bigger share of both parties’ coalitions as the population has grown. However, there has been little change in educational attainment among nonwhite Democrats.

The percentage of white Democrats who identify as liberal has doubled since the late 1990s. Among black Democrats, the percentage has increased only slightly. The percentage of Hispanic Democrats who identify as liberal has declined slightly. Among independent voters, however, the shift has been the largest.

The Democratic Party is now significantly more liberal than it was in the 1990s. This has been particularly true among college-educated Democrats. These higher-educated Democrats are more likely to identify as liberal. Among Democrats without a college degree, the declines have been smaller.

Liberal Democrats have similar views on upper-income tax rates and corporate tax rates. Liberals are more likely to believe that abortion should be legalized and that humans are playing a large role in global warming. These issues have a broad appeal among the Democratic Party.