Voters are Worried About the State of U.S. Democracy

As the 2024 election heats up, a new BPC poll conducted by Morning Consult finds that four in five (82%) voters, including equal percentages from both parties, are worried about the state of America’s democracy – including 40% who say they are very worried.

The poll also found that while two in three (67%) voters say it is very important for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together to pass bipartisan legislation on the economy, three in five (59%) voters are not confident that members of either party will cross the aisle to do so. Republicans (62%) are less confident than Democrats (50%) that this will happen. More than half of voters do not trust the federal government, with nearly a quarter reporting no trust at all in the federal government.

The economy and AI are also top of mind for voters: Nearly nine in ten voters say they are concerned about inflation in the U.S., including 57% who are very concerned. This worry spans age groups, political party, and community type, reflecting how inflation is a top priority for all voters. In addition, voters are more likely to have a negative (46%) than positive (37%) opinion about the rise in usage of AI in products and services, and a majority (73%) are concerned it will lead to job loss.

Methodology

This poll was conducted between August 21-24, 2023, among a sample of 1,959 registered voters by Morning Consult. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on gender by age, educational attainment, race, marital status, home ownership, race by educational attainment, 2020 presidential vote, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.