Written by Grayson Wormser & Lily Stockbridge

Between growing political polarization, continued election denialism, distrust in institutions, and rising political violence, the challenges that face our democracy are vast.

In the leadup to the 2024 elections, we started tracking democracy-related questions to provide a baseline understanding and early warning sign for our partners on critical issues that underpin a healthy democracy.

ONLY 40% OF AMERICANS SATISFIED WITH DEMOCRACY 

Since we began tracking these questions in April 2023, only four in ten Americans, on average, are satisfied with the way democracy is working for them. Perhaps not surprisingly, Democrats are more satisfied with how democracy is working for them than Republicans and Independents. The lowest levels of satisfaction lie with Non-partisans and Independents, likely due to several factors including their inability to participate in many of the primary nominating processes and a lack of candidates who represent their views.

We also see generational gaps in democracy satisfaction, with younger voters between the ages of 18 and 34 and those 65+ consistently reporting higher-than-average levels of satisfaction since April 2023. Middle-aged Americans between the ages of 35 and 64 are varied in their satisfaction, with voters aged 55-64 least satisfied with democracy, at only 36% on average.

NEARLY 2 IN 3 AMERICANS BELIEVE DEMOCRACY IS WEAKENING

How Americans perceive the strength of our democracy is also an important indicator that can help predict future actions and the resiliency of our system of governance. On average, a majority of Americans–64%–think that democracy in America is becoming weaker.

Despite these troubling signs, there is more hope among younger generations for democracy. Older Americans over 55 years old are more likely to say that American democracy is becoming weaker on average (75%) than those between the ages of 18 and 34 (49%). However, younger generations are over three times more likely to have not made up their minds about the future of our democracy: 20% of voters under the age of 55 are unsure or think the system is neither getting stronger or weaker compared to 6% for ages 55+. Despite the lack of certainty, it is encouraging to see less cynicism among younger Americans towards the strength of democracy. 

DISTRUST IN ELECTIONS CONTINUES TO BE MAJOR THREAT

Nationally, about two in three voters (66%) say they will trust the upcoming 2024 election results while 1 in 3 Americans remain unsure or will not be able to trust the results. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest difference in anticipation of trust falls along partisan lines. Democrats indicated consistently higher levels of trust over the past year than Non-partisans/Independents and Republicans. On average, 82% of Democrats anticipate trusting the election results, compared with 60% of Non-partisans/Independents and only 50% of Republicans. Other demographic breakdowns did not vary significantly from the national average, demonstrating the largest strain is among political parties.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY

In the midst of what is certain to be a highly polarizing election season, we’ve observed some concerning trends: election trust continues to be a sticky issue, especially among conservatives and Independents, while Americans are discouraged about the future health of our democracy. Meanwhile, less than half of voters are satisfied with the way democracy is working for them.

The good news: Citizen and our partners are actively working on solutions to these problems through targeted messaging and direct outreach campaigns to American voters.

Methodology: Data comes from an aggregate of our monthly omnibus surveys, with a combined sample of N = 9,056 registered voters between April 2023 and February 2024. The average margin of error is +/- 3%, and the results are weighted to ensure a nationally representative sample.

Interested in more on this topic or others? We’ll be continuing to track these key indicators to provide consistent, real-time feedback on the health of American democracy. Sign up for our latest insights below:

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