Many people find it difficult to support “democracy” because they feel that the federal government and business are letting them down

Americans appear to have the option to do it Both value the concept of ​​democracy and don’t support it in practice.

Since 2016, scientists and journalists have raised previous concerns Democracies have gotten less democratic. Various measures of democracy, reminiscent of: B. the one from Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House and that Varieties of Institute for Democracyhave suggested this based on data from the last decade.

The polls have raised concerns concerning the way forward for democratic governance in countries just like the United States, as identified by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance listed as “recidivist.” since 2019.

Plenty of countries that were once considered stable democracies – reminiscent of Hungary, India and Nicaragua – have seen their leaders and representatives undermine government institutions in the standard way: through Promote division and polarization, Spreading misleading or biased news, Pursue strategies to unfairly dominate elections, Promote loyalists and marginalize opponentsAnd Attacking efforts to carry leaders accountable.

This pattern across democracies raises the query of whether this can be a so-called democratic backsliding happens worldwide And which democracies are susceptible to failure.

A Report recently released by Pew Research Center The book, which describes the outcomes of opinion polls on democracy and political representation in 24 countries, including the United States, has reinforced these concerns.

A big proportion of respondents feel unrepresented by their governments and 59% are dissatisfied with the best way their democracy works. Three-quarters of respondents say elected officials don't care what people like them think, and 42% say no political party of their country represents their views.

In the US, in line with Pew, 66% are dissatisfied with how democracy works, 83% feel missed by officials and 49% feel missed by political parties. Such pessimistic tendencies aren’t recent; A Gallup poll in 2021 and a Pew survey from 2022 Both reported that Americans' trust in government was low.

One of probably the most disturbing statistics from the recent poll is that 32% of Americans think that “rule by a strong leader or the military would be a danger.” good strategy to govern their country.” This particular finding was taken as evidence of the concept a growing variety of Americans support Replacing democracy with an authoritarian government.

Are Americans losing faith in democracy?

Not quite. Instead, respondents may lose confidence in the flexibility of current institutions to deliver what they expect from democracy.

The different definitions of democracy

Most Americans support democracy as an idea.

Pew found that about 75% of respondents within the U.S. think this representative democracy is a superb strategy to govern. A Study 2023 also showed that Americans are likely to see themselves as more committed to democracy, while members of the opposite party are likely to see themselves as more committed to undermining democracy.

But people have different ideas about what “democracy” is and what it should appear like.

When asked concerning the definition of democracy, those that emphasize electoral and liberal facets – reminiscent of free elections and civil liberties – respond somewhat indicates support for democracy. Research shows that there’s a commitment to those values is closely related to supporting democracy.

In contrast, those that define democracy when it comes to its ability to offer economic security, reminiscent of by taxing the wealthy and supporting the unemployed, show weaker support for it. This suggests that when people in additional democratic countries imagine that democracy should reduce income inequality, they have an inclination to be less satisfied with how democracy works.

Respondents' assessment of whether their country is democratic – or whether democracy is functioning as intended – may subsequently be influenced by whether or not they are doing well economically and whether or not they feel comfortable Your values ​​are represented in society. Those who profit more from the present political situation usually tend to support it.

Citizens' desire for a powerful leader could also be largely reflected economic discontent intersecting with social and political changesreminiscent of changes in demographic diversity, family structures and religiosity. Competition with other groups for power and resources poses threats that destroy people more concerned about their future well-being than about how democracy works.

Many might imagine that democracy is broken since it neither offers what they expect nor reflects the values ​​they hold. Layoffs and rising food prices or disapproval of prevailing positions on socially divisive issues reminiscent of abortion can lead an individual to imagine that the support of established politicians and the common practice of electing officials is just not enough to make sure the representation of their interests.

Using discontent to undermine democracy

The Pew poll does in a roundabout way show that American residents don’t support democracy. But it reveals a vital vulnerability.

The results suggest that a big proportion of residents may support a Leader who works outside the institutions of democracy – by breaking laws and evading responsibility – because they’ve lost confidence in the flexibility of those institutions to implement their version of fine governance.

Dissatisfaction with government performance and concerns about socioeconomic well-being can lead residents to support someone willing to disregard constitutional rules to revive what they imagine is a broken democracy.

When voters face changes that they perceive as a threat to their economic and social security, they could gravitate toward someone Who can “fix” the issue?.

This has the potential to erode the very freedoms that respondents claim to carry dear. Populist leaders can exploit people's discontent and feelings of being left behind or excluded to achieve support and justify anti-democratic attitudes.

Recognizing this is significant to understanding how residents can do that value democracy – and undermine it at the identical time. Although people might imagine they’ve similar definitions of it, democracy is a posh concept.

The conclusion based on the survey that residents don’t support democracy doesn’t address what these residents understand by democracy.