One half of young Americans in new poll say democracy in US is 'in trouble' or has 'failed'

Authored by thehill.com and submitted by xRipleyx

A national poll of people ages 18 to 29 found that most young Americans said that they believed the county’s democracy is either “in trouble” or has "failed."

Specifically, 52 percent of respondents said that they held these beliefs, including 39 percent who said that the U.S. is a “democracy in trouble” and 13 percent who said that the country is a “failed democracy,” the poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School released on Wednesday found.

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents said that they viewed the country as “somewhat functioning democracy,” and just 7 percent said that the U.S. is a "healthy democracy."

When considering the results along party lines, more Republicans viewed the state of democracy in the country as in trouble or failed than did Democrats or unaffiliated young people, the survey found.

A total of 70 percent of Republicans said that they held this view, including 47 percent who said that the U.S. democracy is in trouble and 23 percent who said that it has failed. Among Democrats, 45 percent said that the country's democracy is in trouble or has failed, and 51 percent of independent and unaffiliated young people had the same responses.

In terms of President Biden Joe BidenCDC working to tighten testing requirement for international travelers On The Money — Powell pivots as inflation rises Overnight Energy & Environment — Presented by ExxonMobil — Manchin seeks 'adjustments' to spending plan MORE's approval rating among young people, 46 percent of young Americans who took part in the survey said that they viewed him favorably, marking a 13-point drop since a poll published in April from the same organization. Forty-four percent said that they viewed him unfavorably in the new survey.

The latest survey was conducted Oct. 26-Nov. 8 and included 2,109 18- to 29-year-olds. The margin of error for the poll was 3 percentage points.

CaringRationalist on December 1st, 2021 at 17:03 UTC »

Well in my lifetime our countries list of important events include 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, 2 wars driven by profit, 8 years of relatively uneventful calm (except the wars) where 1 good bill got passed as a boiled down neoliberal joke of what it needed to be, followed by a fascist orange idiot, a pandemic, another economic crisis, and a geriatric who's more concerned with negotiating with the fascists than arresting them.

In my lifetime, America hasn't done a single "great" thing. It has only weakened its democracy and consolidated power in the hands of the wealthy. We aren't even top 10 in the world anymore by any meaningful statistic.

Optimal-Scientist233 on December 1st, 2021 at 15:51 UTC »

just 7 percent said that the U.S. is a "healthy democracy."

wow

Show that report card to mom, then wait in your room for dad to get home.

Whiskey_Fiasco on December 1st, 2021 at 13:24 UTC »

It turns out it’s hard for young people to thrive when the elderly control the majority of economic and political power in the country.