Most Americans Back Democracy but Say It’s Not Working — Poll

About half of U.S. adults say democracy in the United States is functioning "very" or "moderately" poorly, while roughly one-quarter think it is working "very" or "moderately" well, according to a new nationwide survey. The results mark a sharp decline from several decades ago, when majorities said democratic government was functioning as it should.

Support for the idea of democracy, but doubt about its practice

The Kettering Foundation–Gallup survey found that roughly two-thirds of respondents "strongly agree" or "agree" that democracy is the best form of government. Yet many Americans are skeptical that political leaders share that commitment or that government decisions actually reflect the public's will.

More than four in 10 adults said they do not believe leaders are committed to maintaining a robust democracy, and about three in 10 said they were unsure. Only about one-quarter believe that government decisions reflect what a majority of people want or attempt to serve citizens' best interests.

Discontent spans parties and demographics

Dissatisfaction with how democracy is working extends across the political spectrum, though it is most pronounced among Democrats, whose party is currently out of power. Some "strong" Republicans are more likely than others to say democracy is performing well, but skepticism exists within both parties.

"I think it is falling apart," said Doug Perry, a 55-year-old 3D modeler in Sarasota, Florida, citing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as an example of eroding faith in democratic norms.

"Democracy let us down, because [the president] should have never been promoted to that position," said Bobbi Black, a retired nurse in suburban Des Moines, who pointed to recent government dysfunction as evidence of systemic problems.

Low confidence in institutions

The poll found that no more than one-third of Americans rate any major institution, branch of government or democratic ideal as performing "very" or "moderately" well. Only about two in 10 view Congress, the criminal justice system, the balance of power between federal, state and local government, and the separation of powers as doing well. A similar share believes people are treated equally under the law.

"Most institutions are holding on by a thread," said Antonio Gonzalez, 39, a marketing professional from Delray Beach, Florida. "We have a quickly changing world, but most of these institutions are run by octogenarians."

The survey also found many Americans feel alienated from elected officials. Older adults, LGBT people and those struggling financially are among groups most likely to say government decisions do not reflect their interests.

Voting and election administration

On election administration, views are more mixed. Most respondents said the way elections are administered is at least "okay." About three in 10 believe it is reasonable to assume election overseers acted improperly when outcomes are surprising; roughly one-third neither agreed nor disagreed and one-third disagreed. Approximately one in 10 said voting procedures and laws do not make it easy for people like them to vote. Black Americans, young adults and those experiencing economic hardship were less likely to say voting is easy.

"It varies by state," said Jesse Sutton, 54, who works in school finance in Detroit. He described voting as straightforward in Michigan but expressed concern about tighter rules in some other states.

Methodology and context

The report is part of a project by the Kettering Foundation and Gallup exploring how Americans experience democracy. The survey interviewed 20,338 U.S. adults in English between July 7 and Aug. 25. Gallup recruited 9,157 respondents through its probability-based Gallup Panel and supplemented the sample with 11,181 respondents from a third-party provider. The margin of sampling error for the full sample was 0.9%.

The findings come amid intense political polarization, rapid social change and economic anxiety as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.