The American public is experiencing a crisis of confidence in US democracy, with half of citizens expressing fear that the country will eventually adopt an authoritarian form of government, a national survey conducted by Freedom House, the George W. Bush Institute and the Penn-Biden Center revealed on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2018) The American public is experiencing a crisis of confidence in US democracy, with half of citizens expressing fear that the country will eventually adopt an authoritarian form of government, a national survey conducted by Freedom House, the George W. Bush Institute and the Penn-Biden Center revealed on Friday.
"A clear majority of 55 percent see American democracy as currently 'weak,' and 68 percent believe it is 'getting weaker,'" the report stated. "A 50-43 percent plurality agree that America is in 'real danger of becoming a nondemocratic, authoritarian country,' rejecting the alternative statement that 'there is no real danger of America becoming a nondemocratic authoritarian country.'"
The 14-page report , which resulted from a bipartisan effort, drew its conclusions from 10 focus groups along with a national survey of more than 1,700 adults.
Although the commitment to democracy remains strong across the country, "the public is also experiencing a crisis of confidence in our political system - a sentiment that spans partisan affiliations and demographic groups," the report said.
The study posited that frustration with the US government is rooted in systemic problems, including political polarization, racial inequality and discrimination, the influence of money in politics and degradation of civil discourse.
