Wide partisan divide on whether voting is a fundamental right or a privilege with responsibilities
57% of Americans view voting as “a fundamental right for every adult U.S. citizen and should not be restricted in any way.”
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
57% of Americans view voting as “a fundamental right for every adult U.S. citizen and should not be restricted in any way.”
Democrats hold the edge on many issues, but more Americans agree with Republicans on the economy, crime and immigration. Inflation remains the top concern for Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 77% saying it is a very big problem. For Democrats and Democratic leaners, gun violence is the top concern, with about 81% saying it is a very big problem.
Americans’ ratings of the Supreme Court are now as negative as – and more politically polarized than – at any point in more than three decades of polling. And nearly two-thirds of Democrats (64%) now say the Supreme Court has too much power, almost three times the share who said this in August 2020 (23%).
Growing shares of Americans view both gun violence and violent crime as very big national problems. 49% of U.S. adults say gun ownership increases safety by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves; an identical share says it reduces safety by giving too many people access to firearms and increasing misuse.
Republican support for allowing undocumented immigrants to remain legally in the United States has declined.
The share of adults who are “basically content” with the federal government has risen to the highest point since 2004, driven by Democrats.
Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say increased attention to the history of slavery and racism is bad for the country.
Nearly eight-in-ten U.S. adults (78%) say there is some risk an innocent person will be put to death, and 63% say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes.
Americans express highly negative views of President Joe Biden, congressional leadership in both parties and Congress more broadly. Views of the economy remain overwhelmingly negative, and there has been a sharp rise in the share who say the country cannot solve many of its important problems.
Among Republicans, support has declined for allowing early or absentee voting without an excuse and for automatically registering all eligible citizens to vote.
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