In April 2018, Bright Line Watch conducted its fifth expert survey, and its third public survey, on democracy in the United States. Between April 9 and 22, we surveyed an expert sample of 935 political science faculty at American universities and a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults. Respondents in […] Read more »
Americans: Optimistic for country, but deep skepticism
For all countries, there is a tension between the idea of what they’d like to be and the reality what they actually are. A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds the gap between America’s idealized vision of itself and its reality is especially wide right now. CONT. Dante […] Read more »
The Public, the Political System and American Democracy
At a time of growing stress on democracy around the world, Americans generally agree on democratic ideals and values that are important for the United States. But for the most part, they see the country falling well short in living up to these ideals, according to a new study of […] Read more »
Democrats’ Best Recruitment Tool? President Trump
President Trump’s surprise victory and divisive governing style have galvanized Democrats in ways the party could have only dreamed of in the Obama years, when enthusiasm for its candidates sagged whenever Barack Obama was not on the ballot. There is perhaps no better illustration of Mr. Trump’s impact on the […] Read more »
Rallying Nation: In reaction to Trump, millions of Americans are joining protests and getting political
Tens of millions of Americans have joined protests and rallies in the past two years, their activism often driven by admiration or outrage toward President Trump, according to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll showing a new activism that could affect November elections. One in five Americans have protested in […] Read more »
Authoritarian Warning Survey: Increased threat levels and perceived risk of democratic breakdown
Our expert survey results in March 2018 demonstrate increased threat levels and perceived risk of democratic breakdown. From February to March 2018, ratings worsened on all six dimensions of democratic performance, further reversing the improvement from December to January. Experts rate a 9.1% chance of democratic breakdown in the U.S. […] Read more »