Poll Tracker

Thinking about your views on political issues and how they have changed in recent years, would you say you are now more conservative than you were a few years ago, or your views have not changed, or are you more liberal?

The strongest trend for change is among self-described conservatives, 58 percent of whom say they have moved further to the right. Forty-eight percent of moderates have not changed their views while 33 percent have become more conservative and 18 percent more liberal. Among liberals, 43 percent have not changed their views while 42 percent have become more liberal and 14 percent more conservative.

Whatever the strength of a trend towards conservatism, when Gallup that despite the "heightened sense of conservatism in its political outlook, Americans' specific policy positions have not changed much since 2004. To the extent they have, about as many of these positions have become more liberal as more conservative."

• Opposition to banning handguns grew from 63 percent to 69 percent and disagreement about making gun laws more strict grew from 43 percent to 49 percent.
• Those giving priority to economic growth over protecting the environment rose from 44 percent to 51 percent.
• The number of those favoring the death penalty remained the same at 64 percent.
• The percentage of those who wanted labor unions to have less influence remained the same at 32 percent.
• The number of those who favor maintaining the same health care system dropped from 63 percent to 46 percent.
• Those who want the levels of immigration to decrease dropped from 49 percent to 39 percent.
• Those on the "pro-life" side of the abortion debate rose from 44 percent to 51 percent.
• Those who opposed gay marriage rose from 55 percent to 57 percent.
• Those who believe embryonic stem cell research is morally wrong slipped from 37 percent to 36 percent.
• Those who term homosexuality an unacceptable lifestyle dropped from 42 percent to 40 percent.
• Those who believe government should promote "traditional values" dropped from 55 percent to 48 percent.
• Those who believe government has too much power rose from 42 percent to 52 percent.
• Those who believe government does too much regulation of business and industry notched up from 37 percent to 38 percent.
• Those who believe getting involved in Afghanistan was not a mistake dropped from 72 percent to 63 percent, while those who believe getting into Iraq was the right thing to do dropped from 52 percent to 39 percent.