Most Americans Believe In Democracy But Question Its Performance

Leo Migdal

-Nov 28, 2025, 9:34 AM

most americans believe in democracy but question its performance

Economic hardship, social disconnection and age gaps shape faith in U.S. democracy Nearly 250 years after the founding of U.S. democracy, most Americans still believe it is the best form of government. However, many question how well it’s working, according to the first report from the Democracy for All Project, a new multiyear research initiative by the Kettering Foundation in partnership with Gallup. The project is the most extensive annual study of how Americans experience and participate in the democratic system.

The survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults reveals that two-thirds of Americans say democracy is the best form of government, but only about one in four (24%) believe it is performing well. A majority, 51%, say it is performing poorly. “Americans still believe in democracy, they just don’t believe it’s working,” said Jim Clifton, Chairman of Gallup. “The system isn’t broken because people stopped caring; it’s broken because people stopped trusting. Rebuilding that trust starts with leaders who listen.”

The Democracy for All Project, a partnership of the Kettering Foundation and Gallup, is the first in-depth, annual study of how Americans experience democracy today. The 2025 inaugural report, Is Democracy Working?, draws from the views of over 20,000 adults nationwide, with a special focus on inclusion, belonging, and the voices of marginalized communities. 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. The news cycle is ablaze with economic uncertainty. Consumer confidence has been unsteady to start 2025. Three in five Americans think the economy will experience a recession in the next year. The issue that Americans generally care most about is in turmoil.

That all makes it especially surprising that an increasing number of Americans are saying that “political extremism and threats to democracy” is the most important problem facing the country. Over the past two months, it beat out the “economy, unemployment, and jobs” as the main issue in Reuters/Ipsos polling. Concern with political extremism and threats to democracy is now at the highest it’s been since Ipsos began tracking it in February 2024. Is this a temporary blip or a sign of something new? Here are five charts on where Americans stand on the state of democracy. Americans are predictably split on the state of U.S.

democracy. Democrats feel Trump has exceeded his authority and thus feel more concerned about political extremism and threats to democracy. Republicans don’t. Independents are somewhere in between. 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: 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.

St. Louis Park residents gather at a City Council meeting, July 8, 2019. Nina Moini | MPR News. The McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll finds that a strong majority of Americans agree that democracy is the best system of governance, but that there are pockets of... Poll director Eric Plutzer, Ph.D., noted, “The sharp generational differences on multiple questions show that Millennials and, especially, Gen-Z members are disappointed in American democracy. Some may feel that democracy in America today falls far short of our aspirations, and others may feel that their generation has little voice in addressing rising prices, uncertain economic futures, debt and climate...

While most younger voters continue to show strong support for democracy, the widespread disaffection evident in younger generations is a warning sign for the future.” The survey also asked respondents what aspects of democracy were most important to them. Most emphasize either that democracy allows “the voice of the people” to influence government, or that the system offers protection for rights and liberties. About one-in-ten, including one-in-five independents and Republicans, emphasized that the United States’ system of government should be characterized as a republic rather than a democracy. Half of Americans strongly agree with the statement “Democracy may have problems, but it is the best system of government,” and another quarter agree somewhat. Most of the remaining quarter indicate that they neither agree nor disagree.

Most Americans Believe In Democracy But Question Its Performance

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