Replication Data and Appendices for: Loyalists and Switchers: Characterizing Voters’ Responses to Donald Trump’s Campaign and Presidency

Replication files and appendices for, \"Loyalists and Switchers: Characterizing Voters’ Responses to Donald Trump’s Campaign and Presidency.\" Abstract: Despite characterizations of the American electorate as rooted in immovable partisan loyalties, a crucial segment of voters shift their support to or away from an incumbent president. For example, Donald Trump’s campaign won support from a slice of voters who had previously backed Barack Obama, arguably through Trump’s appeals on immigration, economic growth, populist reform, and strong leadership. Other voters rejected Trump’s rhetoric and were not persuaded by his promises. Using two original surveys, we ask what opinions and perceptions characterize voters who remained loyal in their support for or opposition to Trump from the 2016 election into his presidency, and how their views compare with the views of voters who abandoned their previous support or opposition. We find that loyalty and switching cannot be explained by demographic characteristics; instead, particular sets of attitudes on race and immigration, populism and authoritarianism, and the nation’s and their own economic well-being are all associated with loyalty to and switching from this divisive president. Our findings suggest that voters’ support for incumbents is conditioned by issue attitudes and experience; switchers’ views reveal a lot about the strengths and vulnerabilities of a president.