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:
Woke is BACK! …really?
MAGA has a DEI policy. Just ask Nicki Minaj.
The Swoletariat: a history of leftist fitness
Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.
Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse
For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices