Replication Data for: \"Disaffected Partisans: Most Americans Think a Third Party is Needed, But Those Americans Are Even More Polarized\"

Deepening partisan polarization has caused extreme discontent with the existing two-party system. But despite bipartisan concerns about third party vote splitting, there has been little attempt to measure the policy preferences of current Republicans and Democrats who want a third party alternative to the two dominant parties. From April 19 to May 1, 2022, we surveyed 1,862 American adults to determine if these “disaffected partisans” are more or less polarized. First, we confirm previous findings that most Americans — Republicans and Democrats alike — now say a third party is needed. For 14 different issues, we then compare the policy preferences of partisans who think a third party is needed and those who do not. Contrary to the popular narrative that disaffected partisans might converge around a centrist or moderate third party, we find that disaffected partisans are just as polarized or more on most issues.