A US population shift -- to the Republicans

According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, the United States is becoming increasingly Republican. Democrats still outnumber Republicans, but the lead is only half of what it was when last year's presidential campaign began.

In January 1980, 53 percent of those polled said they were Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, while 33 percent said they were Republicans or Republican-leaning independents. In the latest poll, conducted April 22-26, the Democratic margin was 49 to 41 percent.

The most significant shift to the Republicans was among the now grown-up children who constituted the "baby boom" that followed World War II, the 23-to- 34-years-old. A year ago that group was 56 percent D emocratic and 30 percent Republican. Today it is 44 percent Democratic and 43 percent Republican.