With election 2012 in full swing and both parties battling to represent the American people on a whole range of polarized issues, we took a look at how the views and priorities of Americans have shifted over the last 20 years.

We found six trends: three that move towards what is generally accepted as the political right and three towards the left.

Shifts To The Right

Abortion

In 1992, 15 percent of Americans thought that abortion should be made illegal in all circumstances. Today, 20 percent of Americans want to ban abortions.

Meanwhile, the amount of Americans who think abortion should be legal in every circumstance has decreased from 34 percent in 1992 to 25 percent now.

The Environment

In 1991, 71 percent of Americans prioritized protection of the environment over economic growth. Today, only 41 percent prioritize the environment, with almost half of Americans willing to sacrifice the environment if it means economic growth.

Guns

In 1993, 70 percent of Americans desired stricter laws for the sale of the firearms Today, only 43 percent want stricter gun laws, while 11 percent think that the gun laws should be made more lenient.

Shifts To The Left

Gay Marriage

In 1992, 27 percent of Americans believed that gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry. Today, a whopping 50 percent want gay marriage legalized.

Marijuana

In 1995, only 1 in 4 Americans wanted to legalize marijuana. Today, half of Americans think that that the use of marijuana should be made legal.

Immigration

In 1993, 6 percent of Americans thought that immigration into the United States should be increased. Today, 21 percent of Americans want to increase immigration.

Moreover, those wanting to decrease immigration have gone down from 65 percent to 35 percent.