Defining values: Highly educated and politically engaged, Solid Liberals hold consistently liberal values. They back a robust role for government and are strong advocates of the social safety net. Large majorities view the current economic system as unfair and see economic inequality as a major problem. They take broadly positive views of immigrants, and fully 99% think being open to people from around the world is an essential part of the nation’s identity. Most say more needs to be done to address both racial discrimination and obstacles to women’s achievement. They support same-sex marriage and believe homosexuality should be accepted by society. Solid Liberals are the most Democratic of all typology groups: nearly two-thirds (64%) identify as Democrats, another 35% lean toward the Democratic Party.
Political attitudes: Solid Liberals are the most engaged Democratic group – 89% say they vote always or nearly always, and fully 97% say it matters a great deal or fair amount which party wins control of Congress next year. Their opposition to Donald Trump is overwhelming: 97% say they strongly disapprove of his job performance, and 91% say they disagree with Trump on all or nearly all issues. A 71% majority identify as liberal.
Who they are: The most highly educated of the typology groups, 57% are college graduates and nearly three-in-ten (29%) have a graduate degree. Non-Hispanic whites make up the vast majority of this group (73%), and the group is more female than male (59% to 41%). Solid Liberals are financially satisfied and among the most likely to live in urban areas.
Lifestyle notes: Most Solid Liberals (72%) say they enjoy going to museums a lot, and 75% say artists contribute a lot to society – the highest shares across typology groups. They are less likely than other groups to have a religious affiliation, and just 15% say they attend religious services weekly or more, by far the lowest share of any typology group.
