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Society & Culture

Sick of Democrats & Republicans? There’s another option.

podcast March 4, 2026


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Politically “independent” used to mean you were moderate. Not anymore. 

It’s no secret that Americans are politically divided, as faith in political parties erodes. In the past, so-called “independent” voters were likely shifting between Democrats and Republicans. But now, especially Gen-Z, are pushing in new directions, far from the center. In this episode, we explore how “independent” became a rallying cry for change on the left and the right. 

Danielle Kurtzleben guest hosts with Elena Moore, a political reporter for NPR, and Dr. Omar Ali, a professor of African American political history at UNC & author of In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States.

Want more episodes on political culture? Check out these episodes:
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