Political & Civic Engagement

Nearly 107.7 million valid votes were cast in the 2022 House elections, representing about 45.1% of the estimated voting-eligible population.

Most U.S. adults say President Joe Biden (65%) and Republican leaders in Congress (61%) will be unsuccessful getting their agendas enacted in the next two years; only about a third say the president and GOP leaders will be successful. Republicans are less confident than Democrats in midterm vote counts – but more confident than they were after the 2020 election.

Most in advanced economies say voting, taking steps to reduce climate change and getting a COVID-19 vaccine are ways to be a good member of society; fewer say this about attending religious services.

More Americans say it’s very important to vote in elections to be a good member of society than say the same about any other activity in the survey.

When comparing turnout among the voting-age population in recent national elections in 50 countries, the U.S. ranks 31st.

There has been a sharp decline in the share of Republican voters who are “very confident” that votes cast at polling places will be counted accurately.

Americans who hold less consistently liberal or conservative views tend to be less engaged in national politics.

As 2021 draws to a close, here are some of Pew Research Center’s most striking research findings from the past year.

53% of U.S. adults who voted in the general election say they engaged in at least 1 of 6 political activities over the past six months.

These platforms have served as venues for political engagement and social activism for many years, especially for Black Americans.