It's the government, stupid: The new Pew political typology suggests the GOP can do well by staying on its anti-government theme into 2012

Ryan Streeter
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There is a lot to mine in the new Pew political typology survey. For a guide to Pew's typology (e.g., what separates a Staunch Conservative from a Main Street Republican, etc.), go here.

For now, I'd like to focus on one thing that stood out in the 2nd section, on values and attitudes about the role of government.

The results suggest that Republicans will do well going into 2012 by continuing to talk about the size and purpose of government. The survey shows that on issues such as aid to the needy or business profits, the electorate still divides largely along conventional ideological lines.

But when it comes to views on how wasteful or effective government is, a large majority of the overall electorate is with the Republicans. The following three charts make the point well:

Generally, the more liberally inclined favor more support for the needy, the conservative/free marketeers do not. No real surprises there.

If there's a surprise here, it's that Main Street Republicans join with the liberal side of the ledger on business profits. It's not much of a surprise, though. Midwestern and southern conservatives don't dislike business in the same way the Left does, but they do dislike the way that large businesses tip the scales in their favor and threaten entrepreneurs. They're generally pro-business and anti-big business. But overall, this chart looks like the way most of us understand the electorate.

This is the chart that should encourage Republicans:

On this issue, it's clear Republicans have a continued big opportunity with independents of various stripes.

This theme isn't just about spending, though it's primarily about that. It's also about government's inability to do its job well. The Republican counter-proposal is expanding choice in areas such as health care, education, and job opportunities. Put power back in the hands of the people, take it away from government. That's the positive theme that can play off the negative "we don't like government" theme.

We may be in for a "it's the government, stupid" 2012 election, which would favor the GOP if the party plays its cards right.