AP Poll: Just 16 Percent Say US Democracy Is Thriving

The majority of Americans think the United States is not thriving, with less than one in six saying democracy is working well or extremely well, according to the latest poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The survey, which was conducted after the Capitol riot Jan. 6, found most Americans think "the nation is deeply divided over its most important values," and "the country will become even more divided or stay the same over the next five years."

When asked about how well democracy is working in the United States:

• 16% say extremely or very well.
• 38% say somewhat well.
• 45% say not well at all.

The survey also found, "more than 8 in 10 Americans think factors such as a fair judiciary, liberties defined by the Constitution, the ability to achieve the 'American Dream,' and a democratically elected government are important aspects of the country's identity. Less than half consider a culture formed by Christianity or European immigrants as vital to the identity of the United States."

Democrats were far more likely to view the country as being on the right track, at about 75%, while less than 25% of Republicans said the same. Independents were about evenly split between the two, at just under 50%.

The AP-NORC poll was conducted from Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2021 online and in telephone interviews among 1,055 adults using the AmeriSpeak® Panel. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

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