Americans Losing Faith In Democracy?

A growing number of Americans say democracy in the United States is not working as well as it should, according to a major new national survey.

The 2026 Democracy for All Project from the Kettering Foundation and Gallup found that 56% of U.S. adults believe American democracy is performing poorly, while just 19% say it is performing well. Both figures represent a more negative assessment than Americans gave one year earlier.

Yet the findings also reveal an important distinction: dissatisfaction with the current political system does not necessarily mean Americans are abandoning democracy itself.

Gallup found that roughly two-thirds of Americans still consider democracy the best form of government.

Americans Increasingly Unhappy With How Democracy Is Working

The survey paints a picture of a country frustrated with its major institutions and increasingly concerned about whether government is functioning properly.

Fifty-six percent of Americans rated U.S. democracy as doing either “very” or “moderately” poorly. Only 19% gave it a positive rating.

Those numbers suggest that many Americans remain committed to democratic government while expressing serious reservations about how the system is currently operating.

The decline in positive assessments was especially noticeable among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, according to the survey data.

At the same time, large numbers of Democrats and independents also expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of American democracy.

The result is an unusual area of agreement in an otherwise deeply divided political environment: voters across the political spectrum increasingly believe the nation’s institutions face significant challenges.

Concerns About Election Trust Continue

Election confidence is another area drawing attention.

The survey found increased willingness among some Americans to suspect wrongdoing when election results are unexpected.

That issue is especially important as the United States heads deeper into another national election cycle, with questions about election security, voting procedures and public trust continuing to dominate political debate.

Views on proposed reforms remain sharply divided. Some voters favor tighter election rules, including voter identification requirements, while others support changes intended to expand access to voting.

Those disagreements make election administration one of the country’s most closely watched political issues.

Majority Says Rule of Law Has Weakened

Americans also expressed significant concern about the rule of law.

According to Gallup, 56% believe the rule of law is weaker today than it was 10 years ago.

Only 14% believe it has become stronger.

That four-to-one gap highlights a broader loss of confidence in the nation’s political and legal institutions.

The survey also found that only 28% of Americans trust that political leaders will be held accountable to the nation’s laws and Constitution.

For many voters, accountability has become a central concern regardless of which political party controls Washington.

Americans Question Growing Presidential Power

The balance of power between the three branches of the federal government also generated strong opinions.

Gallup found that 59% of Americans believe the executive branch has too much power.

By comparison, 38% said the judicial branch has too much power, while 34% said Congress has too much power.

Views on presidential authority vary significantly by political affiliation and often change depending on which party controls the White House.

Still, the broader debate over executive power has remained a recurring issue for Americans concerned about constitutional checks and balances.

Many Americans Believe Democracy Was Stronger 50 Years Ago

The survey also asked Americans to compare today’s political system with the past.

Sixty percent said democracy in the United States was stronger 50 years ago than it is today.

Looking toward the future, Americans were also cautious.

Gallup found that 45% expect U.S. democracy to become weaker over the next 50 years, while 31% believe it will become stronger.

Those findings reflect widespread uncertainty about the direction of the country and the durability of its political institutions.

Local Democracy Gets Better Reviews

Americans appear somewhat more optimistic about government closer to home.

When asked about democracy in their own city or town, 34% said it is working well, compared with 21% who said it is working poorly.

That difference suggests voters may feel more connected to political institutions they can see and interact with directly.

Local governments often deal with highly visible concerns such as property taxes, roads, schools, public safety and community development.

For many Americans, those issues can feel more immediate than political battles taking place in Washington.

Voters Want Political Change

When Americans were asked how democracy could be improved, one of the most frequently cited ideas was changing political leadership.

Other respondents pointed to reforms involving elections, government accountability and the balance of power.

The answers differed substantially by political affiliation, underscoring just how divided Americans remain over the causes of the country’s political problems.

There is considerably more agreement that problems exist than there is agreement over how to solve them.

Support for Democracy Remains Strong Despite Frustration

Despite the negative findings, the survey does not show Americans broadly rejecting democratic government.

Instead, Gallup describes a country where commitment to democracy remains relatively stable while confidence in its performance has weakened.

That distinction may be one of the most important findings in the entire report.

Americans appear increasingly frustrated with political leaders, institutions, elections and government accountability, but most still view democracy as the preferred system of government.

As the United States moves through its 250th anniversary year, those competing attitudes are likely to remain at the center of national political debate.

The Kettering Foundation-Gallup survey included 23,683 U.S. adults and was conducted from April 24 through June 10, 2026. The survey has a reported margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level.