More than half of young Americans — 52 percent — believe U. S. democracy is “in trouble” or “failing,” according to a poll released this week from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School.
The poll, which surveyed young people between the ages of 18 to 29, found that 39 percent believe democracy is “in trouble,” and 13 percent “went as far as to declare the nation a ‘failed democracy.’” Only seven percent of young Americans view the United States as a “healthy democracy,” and 27 percent think the country has a “somewhat functioning democracy.”
Along party lines, Republicans are less hopeful than Democrats about the state of the nation.
“While Democrats are divided (44% healthy/somewhat functioning and 45% in trouble/failed) about the health of our democracy, 70% of Republicans believe that we are either a democracy in trouble (47%) or failed (23%). A majority (51%) of independent and unaffiliated young Americans also say we are in trouble or failed,” according to the poll report.
Nearly half — 46 percent — of young Republicans also believe the chances of the second civil war are at 50 percent or higher “compared to 32 percent of Democrats, and 38 percent of independents and unaffiliated voters.”
“Similar patterns hold … (Read more)
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