Independent voters aren't necessarily what they appear to be. (jugbo, Creative Commons)

Today, over 40 percent of American voters identify as independents, a number that has steadily increased since pollsters began to track the corresponding data in 1952.

Voter independence generally refers to independence from partisan influences, or, more realistically, considering the platforms of both the Democratic and Republican parties rather than relying solely on partisan labels to make voting decisions. Independent voters often “lean” to one side of the political spectrum, so even if they choose not to label themselves as a member of a particular party, they show tendencies that favor one major party over the other.

Labeling yourself as an independent is an unmistakably romantic notion. It implies being intelligent and self-reliant, and also keenly aware of what is happening in the world.

Given Americans’ abysmal levels of political awareness, however, it is impossible for this many voters to make decisions that are truly independent of parties. It’s difficult to make independent voting choices if you don’t know the background and implications of the various options.

Similarly, Americans who claim to make their voting decisions independently of party labels should, in theory, vote for third party candidates more often than their party-affiliated counterparts. Yet, a record number of self-identified independent voters has not in any way led to better third party electoral performance. In recent presidential elections, not one third party candidate gained even one percent of the popular vote (the closest was Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, with 0.9 percent).

It therefore appears necessary to clarify the difference between true independent voters and contemporary self-identified independent voters. The latter appear to generally make a one-or-the other choice between the Democratic and Republican Parties, without set party affiliations. They could sensibly be renamed “Democratic Republicans.”

These voters, however, cannot be classified as truly independent. Legitimate voting independence requires an acute sense of political awareness on the part of voters, something that is simply not present among the majority of Americans today. In addition, a larger number of voters with true independence from partisan influences would be reflected by improved third party performance in elections, which happens to be far from the case.

The distinction between these two groups, operating today under the same name as “independent voters,” must be made to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. When the polls eventually find that the number of independent voters has reached 50 percent of the population, it won’t be a celebration of the virtues of independence. It will be a celebration of the rise of the new Democratic Republicans.

Reach Contributor Chloe Roddy here.