72% of Americans say the U.S. used to be a good example of democracy, but isn’t anymore
A median of 40% of adults across 34 other countries surveyed in 2024 say U.S. democracy used to be a good example for other countries to follow.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Democracy
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings
All
Democracy
Publications
Displaying 1-10 of ? results
Filtering by:
Reset
-
Most Voters Have Positive Views of Their Midterm Voting Experiences
Voters approached the 2018 midterm elections with some trepidation about the voting process and many had concerns that U.S. election systems may be hacked. After the election, however, most say it was “very easy” to vote and confidence in election security has increased.
-
How Americans view some of the voting policies approved at the ballot box
Many Americans support the idea of several election policies, including same-day and automatic voter registration. This election, voters in many states weighed in on specific ballot measures.
-
Weekday elections set the U.S. apart from many other advanced democracies
Many of the millions of Americans voting in Tuesday’s midterm elections will have to do so while working around the demands of their jobs – hitting their polling places before work, taking an extra-long lunch break or going afterward and hoping to make it before the polls close. As they stand in line, many of them may wonder why it is that the United States votes on a Tuesday, of all days.
-
In their own words: Why some people find voting difficult
Voters are more enthusiastic about voting than in any midterm election in over 20 years of Pew Research Center polling. Still, millions of Americans will not exercise their right to vote on Tuesday.
-
Conservative Republicans are least supportive of making it easy for everyone to vote
Two-thirds of Americans (67%) say everything possible should be done to make it easy for every citizen to vote, but Republicans – especially conservative Republicans – are less likely to hold this view, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
-
Elections in America: Concerns Over Security, Divisions Over Expanding Access to Voting
With a week to go before Election Day, Americans are confident their local election authorities are up to the essential tasks of making sure that elections are run smoothly and that votes are counted accurately.
-
Hispanic voter registration rises in Florida, but role of Puerto Ricans remains unclear
The number of Hispanic registered voters in Florida has increased 6.2% since the 2016 presidential election, to a record 2.1 million people. Hispanics now make up a record 16.4% of Florida’s registered voters, up from 15.7% in 2016.
-
U.S. foreign policy experts are more pessimistic about democracy than their European counterparts
Foreign policy experts on opposite sides of the Atlantic have markedly different assessments of the way democracy is working in their countries.
-
People in less democratic countries are more likely to say China and Russia respect personal freedoms
People who live in countries where the political system is less than “fully democratic” tend to give Beijing and Moscow higher marks for upholding individual rights than people who live in full democracies, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of public opinion in 38 countries across the globe.
-
Many Italians are deeply pessimistic ahead of general election
Last fall, large shares of Italians said they distrust parliament, that the national economic situation is bad and that politicians don’t care what people like them think.
