Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money

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September 15, 2023

7. Candidate quality and what drives elected officials to run for office

Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money

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Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money

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7. Candidate quality and what drives elected officials to run for office
Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money
Democrats and Republicans both skeptical that all or most elected officials ran for office to serve the public
In both parties, evaluations of candidate quality have grown more negative
Widespread views that the quality of candidates running for office in recent years has been bad
People who don’t feel well-represented by one of the parties are especially likely to say the quality of recent candidates for office has been bad
Older Americans more likely than younger adults to say at least one candidate usually shares their views
Most Americans who don’t feel well-represented by the two major parties say there usually aren’t candidates who share their views
Most Americans say it is important candidates share their views on issues; other factors less important

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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7. Candidate quality and what drives elected officials to run for office

Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money

Download

Post Infographics

Research Topics

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