PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans' favorable rating of the Democratic Party dropped to 41% in a late March USA Today/Gallup poll, the lowest point in the 18-year history of this measure. Favorable impressions of the Republican Party are now at 42%, thus closing the gap between the two parties' images that has prevailed for the past four years.

Gallup last measured party images in late August/early September of last year. At that point, the Democratic Party enjoyed an 11-point favorable image advantage over the Republican Party. Now, the favorable ratings of the two parties are essentially tied.

The images of the two major parties have particular significance in a midterm election year. For example, the favorable rating of the Democratic Party exceeded that of the Republican Party by 52% to 37% just prior to the 2006 midterm elections, in which the Democrats gained 30 House seats.

Americans' current 41% favorable rating of the Democratic Party is five points lower than the party's previous low, recorded twice in 2005.

By contrast, the Republican Party's image reached its all-time low of 31% in December 1998 -- just after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Bill Clinton. The Republicans' current rating is improved from a pair of 34% ratings Gallup measured in late 2008 and in May 2009.

Partisan Ratings

The Democratic Party's favorable image has dropped among all three partisan groups compared to August/early September 2009.

There has been little change by party in the Republican Party's favorable image compared to the late summer 2009 measure, although the percentage of Republicans with a favorable image of their party remains significantly higher than it was in May 2009.

Full trends on these favorable measures for both parties are included on page 2 of this report.