Two-thirds of Californians believe US democracy is ‘under attack,’ says new Berkeley IGS Poll

A large majority of Californians believe that U.S. democracy is “under attack” or facing serious challenges, and at a time of high stress, they have little trust in political, business or tech leaders, according to a new Berkeley IGS Poll released today (Thursday, July 10).

In all, 64% of registered voters agreed that “American democracy is under attack,” with another  26% saying that it is “being tested.” Those sentiments extend across the spectrum of California voters, though Republicans generally are less troubled than Democrats and voters with no party affiliation.

“These results underscore the deep concerns that many California voters have about the state of American democracy,” said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS). “Not many years ago, it is hard to imagine that a majority of voters would have seen U.S. democracy as under severe threat. It is now something of a new ‘normal’ — itself a worrisome sign about how things have shifted.”

The breadth of the voters’ concern is striking: 

• 81% of Democrats and 61% of voters with no party preference said democracy is under attack. Nearly four in 10 Republicans agreed, and a like number of GOP voters said democracy is being tested.
• Strong majorities in every racial group concur that democracy is under attack. Black voters were most likely to hold this view: 74% in all, compared to 69% of white voters and 59% of Latinx and Asian/Pacific Islander voters.
• Voters 65 and older were most likely to believe that democracy is under attack — 70% in all. Voters 18-29 were least likely to agree, but still, 60% of them say that democracy is under attack.

Similarly, strong majorities across California’s spectrum of voters agree that special interest money has too much influence on policymaking in Sacramento. 

Voters also expressed low levels of trust for leaders in politics, business and the tech industry. The latter group was singled out for particular disapproval: Nearly 80% of voters across partisan lines say they have little or no trust that tech leaders will act in the best interest of the people of California.

“It’s no surprise that Californians have little trust in tech companies and their leadership,”  said Leora Gershenzon, policy director of the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy. “All too often, they have made decisions that further screentime addiction, mental health challenges in children and teens, and political deepfakes that undermine elections, all to maximize profit. Policymakers in California and across the country should know that they have strong public support when they push for common sense measures to protect people from the harms of AI and social media.”

Poll respondents expressed their strongest trust for community-based non-profit groups and the courts. More than half of voters — 62% in all —  trust the non-profits somewhat or a lot, although Democrats were far more likely than GOP voters to trust the groups.  A slightly smaller majority of voters — 57% — trust the courts somewhat or a lot, with Democrats again significantly more trusting than Republicans. 

The latest IGS Poll was based on an online survey of 6,474 registered voters, conducted in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, from June 2-6. Funding for the poll was provided by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies pursues a vigorous program of research, education, publication and public service. It is the oldest organized research unit in the UC system and the oldest public policy research center in the state.