Trendspotting: Americans Eager for Major Political Reforms

NewsWire: 4/20/21

• Roughly two-thirds of US adults think that the political system needs major changes or should be completely reformed. Roughly the same share of Americans also believe that most politicians are corrupt, which is significantly higher than the share who say the same in France, Germany, and UK. (Pew Research Center)
• NH: Feeling cynical about politics? You’re not alone. According to this four-nation survey, fully 65% of US adults believe our political system “needs major changes” or “should be completely reformed.” The share who say the same in France is even higher (68%). In the UK (47%) and Germany (39%), calls for reform are less common, but hardly rare.
• Americans are particularly concerned about political corruption. Two-thirds (67%) agree that the statement “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well, which falls to 46% or lower in the other three countries. Interestingly, it’s those under age 30 who are the most likely to believe that politicians are corrupt…except in Germany, where the 65+ are the most skeptical.
• The US is also unique in how starkly partisanship affects views of the government. In France and Germany, trust in government has risen significantly since 2017 among supporters of all parties. In the UK, trust has not changed much (+8% among Conservative Party supporters, and -8% among Labour Party supporters). In the U.S., Republicans used to trust the government more than Democrats when Trump was president (66% vs. 42%)--and now that’s reversed with Biden as president (49% vs. 59%).

• The same goes for satisfaction with democracy. Between 2017 and 2020, Republicans’ and Democrats’ level of satisfaction inverted depending on who was in office. I’ve talked about this phenomenon many times, and we just keep seeing it everywhere. Who we vote for isn’t just a vote, but the filter through which we see the world. (See “If You Love Trump, You Think the Economy is Strong. If Not, Not.”)

• One caveat to keep in mind is that this survey was conducted back in Nov/Dec 2020. The US was struggling to respond to the pandemic as Europe watched in dismay. Now with vaccination rates rising steadily here and in Britain while the European Union faces long delays, I wouldn’t be surprised if public opinion there has taken a turn for the worse.