Americans agree democracy needs repair, but differ on solutions

If American democracy had a check-engine light, most voters would agree it's on. But ask what's causing it, and you'll probably get two very different answers.

Americans are broadly concerned about the state of the country's democratic process, according to new Gallup polling from the Democracy for All Project. Just 25% say the public's role in democracy is working well, while 37% say it's working poorly.

But bipartisan agreement ends after that

Republicans and Democrats consistently point to different problems with America’s democratic process.

• Some 77% of Democrats say they're concerned about political leaders pressuring election officials to change election outcomes, compared with 56% of Republicans.
• Meanwhile, 66% of Republicans say they're concerned about ballots being improperly handled, counted, or secured, versus 52% of Democrats.

The partisan divide also extends to democracy's overall health. 75% of strong Democrats say American democracy is performing poorly, compared with just 15% of strong Republicans.

But...It isn’t all partisan trench warfare, with Americans generally agreeing on several core democratic principles, per other Gallup polling from the Democracy for All Project.

The vast majority of Americans say using violence to achieve political goals is never acceptable (83%), support elected leaders compromising to get things done (80%), and say a mix of cultures, races, and religions makes the nation stronger (84%).

Looking ahead…Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) report at least a fair amount of concern about multiple aspects of the election process ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.