Crandi

Can Americans Be Optimistic About Their Democracy

Leo Migdal
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can americans be optimistic about their democracy

Sept. 15 is the United Nations’ International Day of Democracy, an annual moment to assess the health of democracy around the world. Unfortunately, as numerous studies have demonstrated, democracy has been in decline in many nations in recent years. Americans are unhappier and more divided than most about the state of their democracy, and particularly gloomy about its prospects for improvement. The United States is no exception. In fact, Americans are unhappier and more divided than most about the state of their democracy, and particularly gloomy about its prospects for improvement.

Americans certainly haven’t given up on democracy, but if the U.S. is going to turn around these negative trends, we may need a renewed democratic imagination and a new, broad-based conception of American identity to see past what feel like insurmountable obstacles. The country’s notably grim political mood and desire for change show up across many survey questions. Cross-national surveys at Pew Research Center show Americans are among the most dissatisfied with the functioning of their democracy, and they are particularly negative on whether politicians care what voters think. In a 2021 Center survey of adults in 17 advanced economies, 85% in the U.S. said their political system needs major changes or needs to be completely reformed.

Italy and Spain were the only countries we surveyed where larger shares of the public expressed this view. Despite the desire for change, most Americans who said the U.S. political system needs to be fixed also said they are not confident it could be changed effectively. After Tuesday’s electoral victories across the country. from local elections here in Oberlin to state-wide elections in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and more, there seems to be a poignant sense of hope in the air. In spite of all the hardships and blatantly undemocratic efforts promulgating at the federal level, I advocate for being optimistic about our bulwark democratic institutions, the leaders fighting every day to defend democracy, and...

It is important for us to remain realistic about our present political situation, but being realistic does not automatically mean you have to be pessimistic about where democracy is headed. To be clear, I am not advocating for blissful ignorance, as this can be incredibly destructive and accelerate democratic backsliding, but continued pessimism can yield similar destructive outcomes. Rather, we must understand the threats we presently face and ground ourselves in our history of democratic perseverance through the most turbulent times this world has faced. It’s been one year since the polls closed in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and Donald Trump was declared the winner in the early hours of Nov. 6.

It’s been one year since many people started to feel like democracy tipped irrevocably into a downward spiral, part of a rising tide of right-wing populism gripping other parts of the globe while others... It’s been one year since I felt that cascade of shock and confusion and grief that so many across the world felt too as the U.S. suddenly joined this wave in force. It’s been one year of feeling deeper concern about our democratic institutions every passing day. And now, over a month into the longest government shutdown in history, resulting from partisan gridlock over extending healthcare funding, and over nine months into the administration’s incessant attacks on democratic institutions, trade policies,... In fact, on Oct.

31, The New York Times editorial board published a piece showcasing America’s slippage towards autocracy in all categories scholars deem as telltale signs of authoritarianism. An Oct. 23 Wall Street Journal column also echoes some of these concerns, giving rise to the idea that critics across the aisle are becoming increasingly concerned about this administration’s choices. Through it all, however, I have steadily learned to remain optimistic about democracy’s future at large, and I believe others can and should adopt democratic optimism. A significant reinforcement of this perspective was fostered by the Athens Democracy Forum, an annual conference hosted jointly by the Democracy & Culture Foundation and The New York Times. I had the privilege of attending this year’s forum, held at the very beginning of October in Athens, Greece, to both represent Oberlin and work with peers from across the globe to learn more...

Importantly, I heard firsthand from leading scholars and practitioners in democracy. Professors and scholars at leading universities such as the University of Oxford and the University of Pennsylvania presented qualitative and quantitative research into varying facets of democratic concerns, ranging from youth participation, attacks on... Politicians and practitioners — such as the former president of Slovenia, vice president of European Parliament, and former deputy prime minister of Canada spoke candidly about their professional viewpoint on democratic institutions. Civil society leaders from think tanks and nonprofits — such as the Pew Research Center, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation — shared their widespread research and advocacy efforts aimed at informing the public on issues concerning democracy. A new study from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Public Agenda finds that Americans are deeply concerned about the state of U.S.

democracy and that growing divisions within the Republican Party deepen partisan divides over how the Constitution should guide presidential authority and the balance of power. The report draws from a national survey of 4,500 Americans, earlier polling, and three focus groups with Republican participants. It builds on prior SNF Agora research documenting Republican disagreement about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. It shows that these differences now extend to views of presidential power, constitutional limits, elections, and trust in government. The research identifies three distinct groups within the Republican Party: "Americans share deep concern for our democracy, but we do not all have the same reasons," said Andrew Seligsohn, president of Public Agenda.

"Republicans in particular are divided between those who support unfettered presidential power and those who believe checks and balances are essential to the integrity of our constitutional order. These differences represent a deep cleavage in the Republican Party with consequences for the future of American democracy." Across parties, most Americans express concern about U.S. democracy: A report from the Democracy Policy Lab at UC Berkeley finds Americans are confused about the meaning and practices of democracy and deeply distrustful of public institutions — and each other. Strong “democracy policy” could help renew national bonds, the authors say.

For a decade, scholars, pundits and other analysts have been searching deep in the American political experience to understand why democracy seems so stressed. Now a new UC Berkeley report based on extensive surveys finds that Americans are confused about the meaning of democracy and frustrated with the leaders and institutions responsible for guiding the country — but... In an interview, lead author David C. Wilson detailed the findings of this plunge into our political psyche, surveying a tangle of concerning trends. Americans are struggling with epidemic mistrust, but they’re also eager for solutions. For democracy to flourish, the report finds, its people must be flourishing, too.

Wilson, a political psychologist, offered a potentially innovative course of therapy: Just as the nation has economic and health policy, local, state and federal leaders need a commitment to democracy policy to strengthen the... Wilson is the dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy at Berkeley and a professor of public policy and political science. The report, “Delivering on the Promises of ‘We the People,’” is based on surveys of more than 2,400 Americans conducted before and after the November 2024 election. Demonstrators rally on Pennsylvania Avenue during a No Kings protest in Washington, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Demonstrators carry a signed banner representing the U.S. Constitution as they march to the national Mall during a No Kings protest in Washington, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) A person holds an American flag upside-down during a “No Kings” protest Oct. 18, 2025, in Denver.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) About half of American adults believe democracy is functioning “very” or “moderately” poorly in the United States, while only about one-quarter think it’s doing “very” or “moderately” well, according to a poll, marking a... The Kettering Foundation-Gallup survey found that about two-thirds of Americans “strongly agree” or “agree” that democracy is the best form of government. Very few disagree, with about one-third saying they don’t have an opinion. But alongside the widespread disappointment in how democracy is working, few believe the country’s leaders are committed to democratic governance or think government decisions reflect the will of the people. WASHINGTON, D.C.

— Eight in 10 U.S. adults agree on a variety of issues that reflect core aspects of U.S. democracy. These include that using violence to achieve political goals is never OK; that elected leaders should compromise to get things done; and that having a mix of races, religions and cultures benefits the nation. Americans also express a desire to limit the political influence of wealthy individuals and businesses and believe there is a difference between facts and opinions. These findings are the first from the Kettering Foundation/Gallup Democracy for All Project and are based on a multimodal (web and mail) survey of over 20,000 U.S.

adults, conducted July 7 to Aug. 25. This is a five-year project designed to measure Americans’ views of how well democracy serves the U.S. and Americans from a variety of different backgrounds. The full report details how Americans largely agree that democracy is the best form of government but do not believe it is functioning well right now. As part of the survey, Americans were shown five pairs of contrasting perspectives on how democracy and U.S.

society should function and were asked to choose which perspective comes closer to their view. Large majorities of all key subgroups of Americans reject violence, favor compromise and embrace a multicultural society. There are modest differences in some of these views by party, age and education. For example, Democrats, independents and college graduates are somewhat more likely than Republicans and non-college graduates to see multiculturalism as a strength. Older Americans and Democrats are more likely than younger Americans and Republicans to endorse compromise. Age differences are even more pronounced when it comes to rejecting the use of political violence, with senior citizens most opposed and young adults the least.

This relationship will be explored in more depth in an article to be released next week. Another question in the survey, asked on a five-point agree/disagree scale, finds that eight in 10 Americans strongly agree (39%) or agree (41%) that everyone, regardless of their views, has the right to free,... Just 5% disagree, and 15% are neutral. A distinct set of six institutions and traditions makes the country hard to subjugate to an authoritarian’s will. Sign up for Trump’s Return, a newsletter featuring coverage of the second Trump presidency. The first half-year of Donald Trump’s second term is not even over, and the portents of democratic erosion are already stark.

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