{{Short description|Cohort of voters who support a politician or party}}
In politics, a candidate or party's '''base''' or '''core support''' refers to the voters who support them for elected office based on core values. On the left–right political spectrum, left-leaning bases tend to be liberal while right-leaning bases tend to be conservative.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJqlBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA981 |editor-last=Harvey |editor-first=Kerric |chapter=Political base |title=Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics |publisher=SAGE Publications |date=December 20, 2013 |pages=981–983|isbn=978-1-4833-8900-4 }}</ref> In the United States, high-level candidates must hold the same stances on key issues as a party's base in order to gain the party's nomination and thus be guaranteed ballot access. In the case of legislative elections, base voters often prefer to support their party's candidate against an otherwise appealing opponent in order to strengthen their party's chances of gaining a majority in the legislature.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-11 |title=Study: Americans prize party loyalty over democratic principles {{!}} Yale News |url=https://news.yale.edu/2020/08/11/study-americans-prize-party-loyalty-over-democratic-principles |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=news.yale.edu |language=en}}</ref>
== Concept in political science == In political science and sociology, a political base (or social base) refers to the core group of voters and social forces that provide a candidate or party with their primary, stable support.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Pradip |title=Political Sociology |publisher=Kolkata: Setu Prakshani |year=2015 |isbn=978-93-80677-71-2 |edition= |location=Kolkata |pages=25-41 |language=en}}</ref> Scholars analyze this "base" through several lenses, ranging from demographic characteristics to deep-seated psychological worldviews.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Head |first=Brian W. |date=12 March 2008 |title=Three Lenses of Evidence‐Based Policy |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2007.00564.x |journal=Australian Journal of Public Administration |language=en |volume=67 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-8500.2007.00564.x |issn=0313-6647|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Merrill III |first=Samuel |title=How Do Party Loyalty and Activists Encourage Mobilizing the Base? |date=2023-11-29 |work=How Polarization Begets Polarization |pages=75–94 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/55723/chapter/434144220 |access-date=2026-03-14 |edition=1 |publisher=Oxford University PressNew York |language=en |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197745229.003.0005 |isbn=978-0-19-774522-9 |last2=Grofman |first2=Bernard |last3=Brunell |first3=Thomas L.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Political bases in U.S. elections == In the United States, political bases are primarily divided between the Democratic and Republican parties, though recent elections have shown a significant "partisan realignment," where traditional voter blocs are shifting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopnik |first=Adam |title=Political Parties |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/Political-parties |url-status=live |access-date=March 14, 2026 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref>
=== The Democratic Party base === The Democratic base is increasingly defined by '''educational attaintment''' and '''urban geography'''<ref>{{Cite news |last=DePree |first=Claire |date=2024-08-19 |title=DNC Releases 2024 Party Platform to be Voted on at Convention - Democrats |url=https://democrats.org/news/dnc-releases-2024-party-platform-to-be-voted-on-at-convention/#:~:text=Highlights%20of%20the%20DNC%20Platform,could%20not%20be%20more%20stark. |access-date=2026-03-14 |work=Democrats |language=en-US}}</ref> Their demographic base constitutes African Americans, Latino/Hispanics, and White Voters, with a majority being Younger Voters (under 45).<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=7 November 2024 |title=Here is how five key demographic groups voted in 2024 US Presidential poll |url=https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/here-is-how-five-key-demographic-groups-voted-in-2024-us-presidential-poll-124110701733_1.html |url-status=live |website=Business Standard}}</ref>
=== The Republican Party base === The Republican base has rested on "three legs": social conservatism, fiscal conservatism, and strong national defense. Under the influence of '''Trumpism''', it has shifted toward a more populist, working-class foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=March 13, 2026 |title=Republican Party: Policy and Structure |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Republican-Party/Policy-and-structure |url-status=live |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> Their demographic base constitutes '''rural voters, White Southerners, and White Evangelical Christians''', while recent elections have shown significant growth among '''men and working-class minority voters'''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-26 |title=Election 2024 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/politics-policy/us-elections-voters/election-2024/ |access-date=2026-03-14 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>
== See also == * Split-ticket voting * Straight-ticket voting * Voting bloc
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Base}} Base {{Poli-term-stub}}