On just about every survey over the past four years, RMG Research and the Napolitan Institute have asked voters to consider a choice between four presidential candidates of equal skill and temperament. The result is a 4-way breakdown on policy preferences that tracks two distinct branches in each major party -- a more extreme branch and a more traditional branch.

To see Napolitan Institute's most recent 4-Way Choice survey analysis, click here.

Suppose you had a choice between four presidential candidates. All four had equal skills and temperament. Would you prefer a Republican who supported policies like President Trump's, a more traditional Republican, a Democrat who supported policies similar to those of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)*, or a more traditional Democrat?

*Since October 2020, we have asked this question about a candidate supporting Senator Bernie Sanders' policies. In May of 2024, we began a transition, alternately asking about Sanders and AOC, moving only to AOC in August. When we started this series in 2020, Bernie Sanders was the leading voice of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Now, AOC has taken on that role. It is appropriate, therefore, to make changes to our question wording to reflect that reality.