A Political Force With Many Philosophies

Fifty-eight percent described themselves as pessimistic about American politics, compared with 49 percent of Democrats and 47 percent of Republicans. Just 23 percent called themselves proud; 56 percent said they are angry.

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Five Ways to Be Independent

Five categories of independents emerged from the analysis of the survey results:

"Deliberators," who are classic swing voters.

"Disillusioned," who are acutely upset with politics today.

"Dislocated," who are both social liberals and fiscal conservatives.

"Disguised," who are partisans on the left and right who behave almost identically to Democrats or Republicans.

"Disengaged," who generally sit on the political sidelines.

Unlike most other independents, the Deliberators are generally satisfied with the political system and have positive views of the two parties. Two-thirds have voted about equally for Republican and Democratic candidates, making them perhaps the most significant group of swing voters. At a time when other independents lean more heavily toward the Democrats, the Deliberators are a prime Republican target.

The Disillusioned are highly dissatisfied with the political system. Nine in 10 said the two-party system does not work for them. Many volunteered that "neither party" better represents their views on important issues, including more than seven in 10 who said so about their position on Iraq. They lean heavily Democratic, but they are also among the most open to an independent candidacy.

The ideologically Dislocated are far more likely to say that the Democrats better represent their views on social issues, while a majority asserted that the government in Washington is doing too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. They are also the least religious of any of the five groups.

Disguised partisans generally walk and talk like Democrats or Republicans -- sometimes with even more passion. They reject party labels but usually back one side or the other.

"I generally don't support Republicans; I definitely support Democrats the majority of the time. I'm an independent because I like to keep an open mind," said Larry Parker, a day-care center director in Montpelier, Vt.