More Americans ‘socially liberal’ than conservative for first time – huge swing over past 20 years

For the first time more Americans identify as "socially liberal" than conservative, revealing a huge double-digit swing over the past two decades.

Gallup reveals 34% of Americans now say they are socially liberal, 30% conservative, and 35% identify as moderate.

But as the pollster notes, starting in 2001 "social conservatives had a clear advantage over social liberals -- by 12 points, on average." That started to change in 2013, and now socially liberal has pulled ahead, representing a huge 16 point swing from 2001 to 2021.

Americans' "self-described economic views," Gallup finds, "have remained predominantly conservative over the past two decades."

In a separate report this month Gallup looked at views on sex and marriage, finding Americans increasingly "tolerant."

"Views that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable have increased from 40% to 69%, having a baby outside of marriage from 45% to 67%, sex between an unmarried man and woman from 53% to 73%, divorce from 59% to 79%, polygamy from 7% to 20%, and sex between teenagers from 32% to 43%. (All but one of these issues were first rated between 2001-2003; the baseline for sex between teenagers is 2013)."