A recent Gallup survey has revealed that satisfaction among Americans with how democracy is functioning in the United States has hit a record low. The poll, released on Friday, indicates that only 28% of US adults express satisfaction with democracy, marking a 7-point decline from the previous record set in 2021 shortly after the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
Gallup, which has conducted this survey nine times since 1984, highlights a significant drop in satisfaction with democracy to 48% in January 1992. The recent declines over the past two years are attributed to various factors, including economic unease amid rising prices.
Among major subgroups, Republicans show the lowest satisfaction level, with only 17% expressing contentment with the state of democracy. The report emphasizes that Americans are currently less happy about the state of US democracy than at any point in at least 40 years, with previous surveys in 2010 and 2016 revealing 40% satisfaction ratings.
Gallup suggests that disillusionment with democracy may stem from factors such as ongoing gridlock in Washington, growing budget deficits, gun violence, racial tensions, and illegal immigration. These results emerge as the US gears up for the 2024 presidential elections, painting a grim picture of public sentiment toward the state of democracy in the nation.
The survey, conducted in December with 1,013 samples from all 50 states and Washington DC, holds a 95 percent confidence level. Additionally, a separate 2022 survey by Quinnipiac University showed that both Democrats and Republicans, at 69%, believed the nation's democracy was on the brink of collapse.
