Can we really separate party loyalty from ideology in American politics? This article examines the surprising election of Donald Trump as an opportunity to disentangle these concepts. While party and ideology have been closely linked historically, Trump's presidency created a unique research design using his actual conservative/liberal policy statements.

The Experiment: Using real policy positions from Trump rather than partisan cues allows researchers to test how people respond without relying on traditional party messaging.

Researchers analyzed responses from four groups: low-knowledge voters, strong Republicans, those who approved of Trump, and self-described conservatives. The findings reveal:

* Respondents Reacted Most Strongly: Low-knowledge respondents, strong Republicans, Trump-approving individuals, and self-defined conservatives were most likely to accept partisan cues.

The Discovery: This suggests a large number of Americans are primarily party loyalists rather than ideological adherents. The data indicates that claims of being conservative may simply reflect party identification when it comes to Donald Trump's presidency.

Implications for Future Research: These results challenge the assumption that ideology precedes partisanship and demonstrate how political events can provide unique insights into fundamental political behaviors.