A new poll finds that about half of American adults think democracy is working “very” or “moderately” poorly in the United States, while only about a quarter think democracy is working “very” or “moderately” well, a sharp decline from decades ago when a majority thought democracy was generally functioning well.
of Kettering Foundation and Gallup Survey It found that about two-thirds of Americans “strongly agree” or “agree” that democracy is the best form of government. Few disagreed, and about a third said they had no opinion. But while there is widespread disillusionment with the workings of democracy, few believe that the country’s leaders are committed to democratic governance or that government decisions reflect the will of the people.
Polls show that while few American adults doubt their fellow countrymen’s commitment to a strong democracy, they are less confident about their own political leadership. More than 4 in 10 Americans do not believe their country’s leaders are committed to a strong democracy, and about 3 in 10 say they are unsure.
Meanwhile, only about a quarter believe that government decisions reflect what the majority of the population wants or seeks to serve the people’s best interests.
The poll is part of a project launched by Gallup and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation to study how Americans experience democracy. The report released Thursday is based on a survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults conducted in July and August. It occurred during a turbulent period in American politics and had the following characteristics: extreme polarization, rapid social change and deep economic anxietyand as the country prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
Dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy across party lines
The sense that democracy is not working is even more widespread among Democrats whose party is no longer in power. Among them is Doug Perry, a 55-year-old 3D modeler from Sarasota, Florida.
“I think it’s falling apart,” Perry said, blaming President Donald Trump. January 6, 2021 Attack on the US Capitol to reverse Trump’s defeat in 2020 Election It’s proof that many Americans no longer believe in democracy.
Only people who identify as “strong” Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to say that democracy is working “very” or “fairly well.” Bobby Black, a Republican and former nurse who lives outside Des Moines, Iowa, is not one of them.
she mentioned the recent government shutdownthe longest on record, and General incompetence of Congress Agreeing to a bipartisan deal is a bad sign for democracy. She also worries about the former president’s methods. joe biden age What influenced him during his tenure and what he was like. elected without people being aware of the risks.
“Democracy failed us because there was no way he would have been promoted to that position,” Black said.
Mr. Biden won the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, defeating a diverse field of rivals, defeating Mr. Trump, who is seeking re-election, in both the popular vote and the electoral college.
low trust in parliament and the criminal justice system;
Another Gallup poll A survey conducted in 2023 found that only 3 in 10 American adults were “satisfied” with the way our democracy is functioning, compared to 6 in 10 who expressed satisfaction with how our democracy is functioning in 1984, when Gallup began asking this question in its polls.
Gallup’s findings are consistent with other studies that have shown concern about the functioning of democracy in both countries. US and all over the worldEven if 2024 Pew Survey People in other democracies were found to prefer democracy to alternative forms of government.
Gallup research shows that in the United States, people who are experiencing economic hardship are especially likely to have pessimistic views about the performance of democracy.
But the general disillusionment with democracy extends to the country’s institutions as well.
Only one-third of Americans say that the country’s institutions, government departments, and democratic ideals are working “very” or “fairly well.” Only about 2 in 10 people believe that Congress, the criminal justice system, the division of power between the federal, state and local governments, and the division of power between branches of government are working well. Here’s what others have said about the idea that all people should be treated equally under the law:
“Most financial institutions are holding out over the line,” said Antonio Gonzalez, 39, a marketing executive in Delray Beach, Florida. “Our world is changing rapidly, but most of these institutions are run by people in their 80s.”
The poll also found that Americans feel alienated from their elected officials.
Many Americans have no confidence that government decisions reflect the will of the people or are sensitive to the interests of people like them. This is especially true for older adults, LGBT adults, or people experiencing financial hardship.
There are pros and cons about the ease of voting.
One bright spot is that most Americans feel at least “okay” with the way the election was administered.
Only 3 in 10 people think it is reasonable to think that those overseeing elections acted inappropriately when election results are surprising, about a third neither agree nor disagree, and about a third think this is not true.
Only about 1 in 10 people think voting procedures and laws don’t make it easier for people like them to vote. Black people, young people, and economically disadvantaged people are less likely to say voting is easy for people like them.
Jesse Sutton, 54, a school finance worker in Detroit, said he feels it’s easy to vote in Michigan, but he’s concerned about some Republican-run states tightening rules on how to vote.
The Democrat, who is Black, said his ability to participate in democracy “differs from state to state.”
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The Kettering Foundation/Gallup survey of 20,338 U.S. adults was conducted in English from July 7 to August 25. A probability-based Gallup panel recruited 9,157 respondents for this study, supplemented by 11,181 respondents from third-party sample providers. The margin of error for all samples was 0.9%.
