The Hill News

A Gallup poll released Friday showed that 58 percent now believe that a third political party is needed to represent the American public, as opposed to the 35 percent who say that the Republican and Democratic parties are adequate.

The current level of support for a potential third party represents an 11-point increase since 2008. Overall support for the idea has only been this high twice in the last seven years â€" in 2003 and 2007.

The survey notes that this year, a majority of respondents across the political spectrum said another alternative is necessary, challenging the expectation that con! servatives would not typically favor the creation of a third party.

At the same time, the rising popularity of the Tea Party movement cannot account for overall desire for an option outside of the Democratic and Republican establishments: 59 percent of those who are neutral toward the Tea Party still favor the creation of a third party.

Overall, independents remain the group most in favor of a third party, which represents a shift since 2008. Before then, Democrats consistently led independents and Republicans in supporting the idea of a third party by roughly 10 and 20 points, respectively.