A plurality of Democratic voters believe their party should shift toward the political center, according to a new national survey.

The poll, conducted by the Manhattan Institute, found that 38% of Democrats say the party should move toward the ideological center. By comparison, 26% believe the party is already in the right place, while only 22% want it to move further to the Left.

Support for moderation cuts across demographic and ideological lines within the party. Pluralities of white, black and Hispanic Democratic voters all favor a move toward the center, as do both men and women and voters with and without college degrees. Among the party’s largest faction — self-identified moderates — a majority of 53% say the party should shift in that direction.

Even among voters who identify as liberal or progressive, enthusiasm for a further Leftward shift is limited. Two-thirds of this group either say the party is already positioned correctly or would prefer it to move toward the center. Only the party’s most Left-wing faction — including self-described democratic socialists and communists — registers majority support for moving further Left, with 58% backing that approach.

The survey suggests the modern Democratic coalition is best understood as three blocs. Moderates make up the largest share, accounting for 47% of voters. Progressive liberals represent another 37%, while a smaller but distinct faction described in the report as the “Woke Fringe” accounts for around 11%.

Although relatively small, this activist wing tends to be younger and highly engaged politically, giving it disproportionate influence in primary elections, activist networks and online political discourse.

Across a range of policy areas, the survey finds Democratic voters taking more cautious or pragmatic positions than the party’s public debate might imply.

On immigration, for example, only 11% support a position resembling open borders. A majority of 54% favor focusing deportation efforts primarily on criminal offenders, while another 25% support gradually reducing the number of illegal immigrants through due process. Nearly two-thirds also say the legal immigration system should prioritize skills, education and work experience.

Similarly moderate instincts appear on cultural issues. A majority of Democratic voters support parental notification if a child asks to change their gender identity at school, and many favor age limits for gender-related medical treatments. On sports participation, 46% say youth athletes should compete according to their sex at birth, compared with 34% who say participation should be based on gender identity.

On economic policy, the coalition shows little appetite for radical change. Only 15% say America’s economic system should be “burnt down”, while 78% say it should either be preserved or reformed gradually. Large majorities support higher taxes on billionaires and consumer protections such as caps on credit-card interest rates, but relatively few embrace more sweeping anti-capitalist proposals.

The report also identifies a notable openness to certain conspiracy theories within the Democratic coalition, particularly among younger voters. While relatively few endorse claims commonly associated with Right-wing conspiracism — such as vaccines causing autism or Holocaust denial — many Democrats express belief in other contested narratives. Nearly two-thirds say they believe that Vladimir Putin possesses compromising information on Donald Trump that influences his decisions, while a 47% plurality believe the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump was orchestrated by his own supporters to generate sympathy.

Taken together, the results suggest a Democratic electorate that is often more centrist than the party’s activist wing. While the activist Left may still exert influence — particularly in low-turnout primaries and online debates — the median Democratic voter appears to hold more moderate views across a wide range of issues.