About 3 in 4 American adults believe the upcoming presidential election is vital to the future of American democracy, though which candidate they think poses the biggest threat depends on their political leanings, according to a new poll.
Survey from Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research The study finds that majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents say the election is “very” or “extremely important” to democracy, while Democrats have a higher level of intensity on the issue. More than half of Democrats say the November election is “very important” to the future of American democracy, compared with about 4 in 10 independents and Republicans.
Democrat Pamela Hanson, 67, of Amery, Wisconsin, said she is deeply concerned about the future of democracy in the country if the Republican presidential nominee wins. Donald Trump wins the election.
“His statements tend to be of a king or a dictator, or someone in charge alone. I mean, the guy is mentally unstable in my opinion,” Hanson said.
But Republican Ernie Wagner of Liberty, N.Y., said it was President Joe Biden’s administration — of which Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, is a part — that abused executive power.
“Biden tried to cancel student loans, and the courts told him it was unconstitutional to do so,” said Wagner, 85. “He used the FBI as a weapon to reach his political opponents.”
Poll results suggest that many Democrats still view Trump as a threat to democracy after his attempt to Cancel results The follower 2020 electionsembraced the rioters who They attacked the US Congress building. On January 6, 2021, he threatened to seek revenge against his rivals if he wins re-election.
But it also suggests that many Trump supporters agree with him that Biden is the real threat to democracy. His allies Biden accused of using weapons Ministry of Justice The former president was also accused of his efforts. To stop authentication 2020 election and keeping classified documents, despite no evidence that Biden had any involvement or influence In cases.
Trump has portrayed himself as a defender of American values and Biden as “destructive” From democracy. He said that several times after he survived. Assassination attempt Last month he said he had “taken a bullet for democracy.”
The survey was conducted in the days After Biden’s withdrawal What happened in the race, and Harris’s announcement of her campaign, is an early glimpse into what Americans think of the reshaped contest.
Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say democracy could be at risk in this election depending on who wins the presidency, and the responses were generally consistent with findings when the question was last asked in 2011. AP-NORC Poll December 2023.
Hanson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, said she was concerned Trump would use the remarks in his second term. US Supreme Court dominated by conservatives She also worries that he might fill his cabinet with loyalists who don’t care about the well-being of everyone in the country and cut funding to agencies that regulate key functions of society.
But Wagner, a Republican from New York, dismissed those concerns and pointed to Trump’s time in office.
“When he was in the White House, we had peace, we had prosperity, we had energy independence. What’s not democratic about that?” he said.
He said he did not believe Trump’s intentions before and after the events of Jan. 6 were criminal.
“I think he was wrong,” Wagner said.
Some independents are also carefully studying the risks the upcoming elections may pose to the country’s democratic future.
“I think this is the most important election of my lifetime,” said Patricia Siliga Williams, 53, of Lavallee, Maryland, an independent who is leaning toward Harris.
Selja Williams said she barely makes $15 an hour as a hotel breakfast worker and remembers Trump handling the economy and immigration well. But she didn’t like it when he recently said he planned to “Dictator” on the first day in the office.
“We all know that Donald Trump is capable of running the country, but he has become so aggressive now, I don’t think I can trust that as a voter,” she said.
Not everyone agrees that this year’s presidential election will be a turning point for the country’s democracy, offering wildly different reasons, according to an AP-NORC poll. About 2 in 10 Americans say U.S. democracy is strong enough to withstand the election outcome no matter who wins, while another 2 in 10 think democracy is already so seriously broken that the outcome doesn’t matter.
The survey also shows Democracy bets The election has a greater impact on young people than on older people. About half of adults age 45 and older say the election outcome is very important to the future of democracy, compared with about 4 in 10 adults under 45.
“The claim that the other candidate is trying to destroy democracy doesn’t really convince me,” said Daniel Oliver, 26, an independent from suburban Detroit. “I think we have the tools in place to protect us from attempts to destroy democracy. We have other branches of government. We have people who believe in voting. So it would be hard for any candidate to take over and become some kind of dictator.”
He said he would look for candidates to talk about the issues he cares about most, such as curbing inflation and investing in clean energy sources.
Biden And trump card Obama has spent months arguing over whose second term would be worse for democracy. The president hinted at the consequences when he ended his campaign last month, saying in an Oval Office speech that “defending democracy is more important than any title.”
Harris has focused more on the concept of “freedom” in the early days of her campaign, saying that Trump’s re-election could lead to Americans losing power. Freedom of VotingFreedom to be Safe from gun violence And freedom for Women make decisions Her first ad campaign last month featured Beyoncé’s 2016 hit “Freedom,” which has been her campaign anthem at rallies ever since.
Harris did not mention democracy at her first two rallies, but she returned to the topic in remarks to Sigma Gamma Rho members in Houston last week, saying, “Our fundamental freedoms are on the ballot, and so is our democracy.”
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