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New Demographic Profiles of Occupy Wall Street vs. Tea Party Movements
12.01.2011
Topics: Economy Politics & Elections
Tags: Economy Occupy Wall Street Politics & Government Tea Party

Roughly one-quarter (23%) of Americans say they identify with the values of the Tea Party movement. An equal number (23%) say that the Occupy Wall Street movement shares their values. Few Americans (6%) say that both groups share their values and nearly half (48%) say that neither group shares their values.

The composition of each group’s supporters varies significantly. Among those who identify with the values of the Tea Party movement more than one-third (34%) are white evangelical Protestants, compared to only 10% of those who identify with the values of Occupy Wall Street. Conversely, nearly 3-in-10 (28%) of those who identify with OWS’ values have no formal religious affiliation, compared to 12% of those who identify with the values of the Tea Party.

Americans who say they share the values of the Tea Party are overwhelmingly white non-Hispanic (85%); only 16% identify as non-white. Significantly fewer (63%) of those identifying with the values of OWS are white, while a sizeable minority (37%) are non-white.

Supporters of OWS tend to be somewhat younger than those who support the Tea Party movement. A majority (56%) of those who say they share the values of OWS are under the age of 50 compared to less than half (45%) of those who identify with the values of the Tea Party. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of those who identify with the values of the Tea Party movement are retired, compared to just 14% of those who identify with the values of OWS.

Partisans on both sides are well represented among each movement’s supporters. Among those who share the values of the Tea Party 52% are Republican, while half of those who share the values of Occupy Wall Street are Democrats.

More than 7-in-10 (71%) of those who share the values of the Tea Party identify as conservative. The ideological profile of the Occupy Wall Street movement is somewhat more diverse, with liberals accounting for 43%, moderates making up 33% and conservatives making up more than 1-in-5 (21%).

Americans who share the values of OWS are nearly twice as likely NOT to be registered to vote as those who identify with the values of the Tea Party movement (27% and 15% respectively).

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, November 2011 (N=1,002)