Is The Us A Good Example Of Democracy According To People Around The

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 11:41 PM

is the us a good example of democracy according to people around the

The publics surveyed are largely skeptical that democracy in the U.S., at least in its current form, is a good example for other countries to follow. A median of four-in-ten across the 34 nations polled believe democracy in the U.S. used to be a good example for other countries to follow but has not been in recent years. Roughly one-in-five say American democracy has never been a good example. A similar share say it is currently a good model for other countries. Around the world, adults in advanced economies are more skeptical of U.S.

democracy when compared with those in middle-income countries. In 16 of 17 high-income countries surveyed, the share of people who think American democracy used to be a good example is 40% or higher. By contrast, the share holding this opinion is under 40% in 13 of 17 middle-income countries surveyed. The current state of American democracy receives some of its highest ratings in the sub-Saharan African nations included in the study. Half or more in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria think U.S. democracy sets a good example for other countries.

A similar share of Israelis hold this opinion. On the other hand, in 18 of 34 countries surveyed, about a quarter or more of adults think that U.S. democracy has never been a good example to follow. Turkey stands out as the most critical of American democracy, with about half of adults (52%) holding this view. 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.

Nearly a year after voters showed Donald Trump the White House door, the global image of US democracy has not recovered From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important... At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum.

And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Nearly a year after Americans voted Donald Trump out of office, very few people living in a group of 17 western countries think the United States sets a good example when it comes to... Ahead of the November presidential election, just 19% of Americans say democracy in the United States is a good example for other countries to follow, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in... The most common view – held by 72% of Americans – is that democracy in the U.S. used to be a good example, but has not been in recent years.

Another 8% of Americans say U.S. democracy has never been a good example for other countries to follow. Americans are much more likely than people in other countries to say U.S. democracy used to be a good example. A median of 40% of adults across 34 other countries surveyed in 2024 take this view. Few Americans see the nation’s democracy as a good example for other countries to follow.

But adults ages 50 and older are more likely than those under 50 to hold this view. Younger adults, on the other hand, are more likely than older adults to say American democracy has never been a good example (11% vs. 4%). Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are somewhat more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to see U.S. democracy as a good example (22% vs. 17%).

This is nearly the reverse of where things stood in February 2021, when 24% of Republicans and 16% of Democrats saw democracy in the U.S. as a good example. Catching democratic backsliding early may be key to correcting course The United States’ reputation as an exemplar of democracy appears to be eroding. In a poll taken earlier this year, almost three-quarters of U.S. respondents agreed that the country’s democracy “used to be a good example for other countries to follow, but has not been in recent years.” People elsewhere appear to share that sentiment.

The majority of poll respondents in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and South Korea also agreed with the statement. We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. More than 60 percent of U.S. respondents in another poll, from December 2023, believe that democracy in America is at risk depending on who wins the upcoming presidential election. Republican respondents see Democratic candidates as threatening the system and vice versa. 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. More and more Americans are turning against democracy. According to a 2023 survey from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, 24% of Democrats and 31% of Republicans agree with the statement, “Democracy is no longer a viable system, and America should... That trend is global.

The Pew Research Center has found support for democracy as an ideal slipping around the world over the past seven years. Those opinions reflect a real-world trend: A new report from the V-Dem Project—which convenes over 4,000 researchers around the world to aggregate their data—finds that authoritarian governments are gaining ground. Almost two-thirds of the world’s population (5.7 billion people) now live under authoritarian leaders, a 48% increase from 10 years ago. Around the world, according to this team of political scientists, core democratic mechanisms like fair elections and a free press are troubled or declining. Why? That’s a question hotly disputed among scholars and citizens alike.

But, according to Henry E. Brady, professor and former dean of the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, the problem boils down to rapid technological change and rising economic inequality overwhelming governments. Those forces have combined with climate change to trigger mass migrations, which strains infrastructure and social cohesion. When governments don’t seem able to effectively address these kinds of problems, he says, they lose legitimacy—and that creates an opportunity for would-be dictators. In the face of these challenges, now is a good time to ask ourselves: What’s good about democracy? Why is it worth defending?

Is The Us A Good Example Of Democracy According To People Around The

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