Most Americans believe democracy in the U.S. is doing poorly on the national level, and feelings among Republicans have become much more pessimistic in the last year, according to a new survey.
A massive Gallup poll that surveyed 23,000 Americans from April 24 through June 10 showed that people were more pessimistic about the national government than about government on the local level.
The poll found that 56 percent of U.S. adults believe that U.S. democracy is either doing "very" or "moderately" poorly, while only 19 percent say it is doing "very" or "moderately" well.
Gallup noted that both figures were more negative than a year ago. Last year, 51 percent of Americans believed democracy was doing poorly, and 23 percent felt positive about the state of democracy in America.
Most of the decline was attributed to changes in feelings among Republicans as the survey noted that numbers among Democrats and independents were largely unchanged.
"Most of the shifts in opinion have occurred among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Since last year, there has been a 10-point decline in the percentage of Republicans who say democracy is performing well," Gallup stated.
According to the survey, more Republican-leaning independents now say democracy is doing poorly than well - 37 percent to 26 percent.
Meanwhile, Republicans are the only group surveyed with net positive views about the state of American democracy; however, that gap has significantly narrowed in the last year. In 2025, the spread was 26 points, with 47 percent being positive to 21 percent being negative. In the 2026 survey, that fell to 8 points, 37 percent to 29 percent.
However, on the local level, more adults rate the health of democracy positively than negatively. According to the poll, 34 percent said on the local level democracy was doing "very" or "moderately" well while only 21 percent said that it is doing "very" or "moderately" poorly.
Despite pessimistic feelings about the shape of democracy on the national level, Americans have a positive view of democracy. The survey found that more than two-thirds of respondents believed it to be the best form of government.
"While most still believe democracy is the best form of government, an increased majority is critical of how it is functioning in the U.S. Additionally, Americans believe democracy was stronger in the past than it is today, underscoring concerns about the nation's democratic trajectory," the survey concluded.
"These concerns extend to the structure of government itself, with many Americans expressing dissatisfaction with the division of power across institutions and a majority saying the executive branch holds too much power," it stated.
