Report: Americans are Worried About Democracy, But Disagree on Why

The June 2021 Daily Kos/Civiqs Poll asked 1,416 registered voters in the United States about new voting rights legislation, global COVID-19 vaccination, Republican support for President Trump, race relations, the Senate filibuster, and more.

Democracy in America

Americans are worried that the United States is becoming less of a democracy. Fully 87% say that they are either very worried (61%) or somewhat worried (26%). The concern crosses party lines: while 56% of Democrats say they are very worried about democracy in America, so are 68% of Republicans, and 62% of Independents. The oldest Americans are the most concerned, with 90% of voters over age 65 either very (72%) or somewhat worried (18%) that the United States is becoming less of a democracy.

Despite this, Americans overwhelmingly (93%) think that the United States should remain a democracy. The strongest support for democracy (in an unusual pattern of agreement) is among frequent viewers of Fox News (95%) and MSNBC (99%).

Republicans and Democrats differ strongly on the new voting laws being advanced at the state and national levels. Nearly nine in ten Democrats (89%) think that the voting laws recently passed by Republican legislatures in many states are an attack on democracy, whereas 86% of Republicans think these laws are an attempt to protect it. Likewise, 84% of Republicans think that the voting rights legislation proposed by Democrats in Congress is an attack on democracy, while nine in ten Democrats (84%) think this legislation is protecting American democracy.

A majority (51%) of Americans support eliminating (38%) or reforming (13%) the Senate filibuster.

Race and Discrimination

Racial attitudes in the United States, and the question of who suffers from discrimination and unfair treatment based on race, is deeply tied to Americans’ political party. A majority of Americans (56%) recognize that people of color face racial discrimination in America. But while 93% of Democrats say that this is true, only 16% of Republicans agree. Two-thirds of Republicans (66%) believe that people of color in America are not unfairly discriminated against because of their race.

In contrast, a majority of Republicans (54%) believe that white people in America face discrimination and unfair treatment based on race. This belief is shared by 33% of Independents and only 7% of Democrats. Frequent viewers of Fox News (65%) are most likely to believe that there is racial discrimination against white people in America.

The survey also asked respondents to agree or disagree with the statement “America must protect and preserve its white European heritage.” A majority (51%) of Americans disagree. However, 17% agree, including one-third (34%) of Republicans and nearly half (46%) of frequent Fox News viewers. Older Americans are also more likely to hold this view—a quarter (25%) of Americans age 65+ think that America must “preserve its white European heritage,” compared to 9% of those aged 18-34.

Donald Trump and the Republican Party

Former President Donald Trump remains a strong presence in the Republican Party. Among Republican registered voters, 74% consider themselves pro-Trump. A mere 6% of Republicans say that they are anti-Trump. One in five Republicans (17%) do not have strong feelings either way about the ex-president. Eight in ten frequent Fox News viewers (80%) consider themselves pro-Trump Republicans.

Republican voters want their candidates for elected office to be supporters of Donald Trump. By a margin of 70% to 3%, Republican voters want their candidates to support—not oppose—Trump. Another 14% of Republicans believe that Republican candidates should not pay attention to Trump, and 13% are unsure.

COVID-19 Policies

A narrow plurality (48%) of Americans believe that the current pause on federal student loan repayments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic should continue beyond September 2021; 43% think that repayments should resume in October. There is a strong partisan split: 74% of Democrats support pausing repayments for longer, whereas 76% of Republicans think that repayments should resume. Younger Americans are most supportive of continuing the pause on student loan repayments: 60% of those 18-34, compared to 41% of those over age 65.

A plurality (45%) of Americans want the United States to be more involved in the global vaccination effort against COVID-19. This view is held by 72% of Democrats, 44% of Independents, and 14% of Republicans. A third (33%) believe the United States has done enough, including 51% of Republicans, 32% of Independents, and 20% of Democrats. Another 14% think that the United States should do less, including 27% of Republicans, 15% of Independents, and 2% of Democrats.

Civiqs surveyed 1,416 registered voters in the United States from June 19-22, 2021. The survey was conducted online, among selected members of the Civiqs research panel. Sampled individuals were emailed by Civiqs and responded using a personalized link to the survey at civiqs.com. The survey results are weighted by age, race, gender, education, party identification, and region to be representative of the population of registered voters in the United States. The general design effect due to weighting is 1.06. The survey has a margin of error of ±2.7% at the 95% confidence level, accounting for the design effect.