How are Americans feeling about the future of democracy now that President Trump has taken office?
In September 2022, August 2024, and following Trump’s inauguration in 2025, PRL asked Americans if they think America is heading toward the end of democracy. The percentage of Americans who agreed with this statement dropped substantially between 2022 and 2025. When we first asked this question, 58% of Americans agreed, but by 2024, only 44% did. Overall, Americans are feeling slightly more optimistic in 2025, with 41% agreeing.
Did the election outcome impact how partisans view the future of democracy?
In both 2022 and August 2024, Republicans were substantially more concerned about the future of democracy than Democrats or Independents. In 2022, 65% of Republicans agreed with the statement that America was heading toward the end of democracy, while 54% of both Democrats and Independents agreed. By 2024, the gap between Democrats and Republicans had increased significantly, with 55% of Republicans agreeing with the statement, compared to only 36% of Democrats.
Democrats were increasingly optimistic in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. That enthusiasm has now faded, with 59% of Democrats now agreeing that America is headed toward the end of democracy and only 25% of Republicans agreeing. Republicans are feeling optimistic about President Trump’s first weeks in office, while Democrats are substantially more resigned.
These results indicate that attitudes about democracy may be more related to in-party success and policy outcomes rather than a unified vision among Americans about what democracy is.
Methodology
We look at 2,000 survey interviews conducted on the YouGov platform between January 24 and February 6, 2025. We compare these data to August 2024 (N = 2,000), a few months before the 2024 presidential election.