The Nation - News from July 27, 1986

During the first six months of 1986, the Democratic Party held a slim 7-percentage-point lead over the Republican Party in rank-and-file membership, unchanged from the lead the Democrats enjoyed in late 1985, according to a Gallup Poll. During the first half of 1986, 39% of voting-age Americans described themselves as Democrats, 32% as Republicans and 29% as independents. Thus, an upturn in economic optimism in recent polls has failed to increase the Republicans’ grass-roots strength, the pollsters said.