The overwhelming majority of Americans embrace democracy. Consistently over the past three years, 87 percent of Americans say that a democratic political system is a good way of governing the country. At least 80 percent of Americans rate the importance of living in a democracy as an 8 or higher on a 10-point scale. Slightly over three-quarters say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government.
However, these figures mask some significant sources of uncertainty in Americans’ evaluation of democracy. Almost half are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in America, an increase of eight percentage points from 2018 to 2019 and a doubling since 1995.
Over three annual surveys, about 24 percent of Americans say that a “strong leader who doesn’t have to bother with Congress and elections” is a good way to govern a country, and 18 percent say the same about a system of “army rule.” CONT.
Lee Drutman, Joe Goldman & Larry Diamond, Democracy Fund Voter Study Group