Politics, War and Voter Attitudes with Percentages

A new Georgetown University poll shows 81 percent of voters believe democracy in America is currently being threatened, with 72 percent agreeing strongly [1]. The same survey found 72 percent of voters express concern about election fraud and democratic backsliding [1]. Confidence in election integrity remains divided: 47 percent say they are confident, while 36 percent are not [1].

• 81% of voters see democracy as threatened; 72% strongly agree.
• 73% worry about political violence after the election; concern crosses ideological lines.
• 51% want officials to fight for values vs. 39% who prefer compromise.
• Economic issues (61% wrong track, 20% top problem) now outweigh war concerns (8% top concern).
• 60% are extremely concerned about government corruption; Democrats hold a 4-point edge on the issue.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights commissioned a poll fielded September 3-8, 2024, among 1,000 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points [5]. That poll found 73 percent of voters worry about an outbreak of political violence after the November election [2]. Concern spans ideological lines: 92 percent of liberals, 68 percent of moderates, and 63 percent of conservatives say they are worried [2]. Seventy-four percent believe political violence is likely because some will not accept election results [2].

Tracking data from States United Democracy Center shows 72 percent of Americans were very or somewhat concerned about false or misleading election claims in June 2024, with only 7 percent not at all concerned [3]. In the same wave, 47 percent reported feeling completely or fairly confident that elections are free, fair, and secure, while 36 percent felt slightly or not at all confident [3]. The share of voters who would be less likely to support a candidate who denies election results has remained consistent since June 2023, while those more likely to support such a candidate fell from 19 percent to 13 percent [3].

Majorities favor confrontational politics over compromise on voting rights. Fifty-one percent want elected officials to fight for their values, while 39 percent want leaders to find the best solution possible [1]. Among Republicans, 48 percent want leaders to fight and 41 percent prefer compromise [1]. Independents split 45 percent fight versus 48 percent compromise [4].

War involvement modestly depresses voter turnout, but high casualty counts can boost it by roughly 2 percent [1]. Race gaps in war opposition are larger than gender gaps [1]. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in April 2026 found the share of Americans selecting war and foreign conflicts as the top concern dropped from 14 percent in March to 8 percent in April [6]. In August 2026, 47 percent of registered voters said the cost of living would be the single most important factor in their midterm vote [6].

Economic concerns now outweigh war concerns. Sixty-one percent of Americans say the national economy is on the wrong track, up from 43 percent in January 2025 [6]. Twenty percent cite economic concerns as the most important problem facing the country, up from 16 percent in March [6]. A PRRI survey found 61 percent disapprove of Trump’s job performance, with strong disapproval at 48 percent versus strong approval at 14 percent [7]. Sixty-nine percent disapprove of his handling of the war in Iran, including 52 percent who strongly disapprove [7]. Among Republicans, 62 percent approve of the Iran war handling, compared with 21 percent of independents and 5 percent of Democrats [7].

Government corruption ranks as a top voter issue. A Fox News poll found 60 percent of registered voters are extremely concerned about government corruption, surpassing inflation concerns [8]. Two-thirds of respondents in a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll think Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself, up 10 percentage points since September 2025 [8]. Gallup reports perceptions of government corruption at multi-decade highs [8]. In a CNBC poll, respondents gave Democrats a 4-point edge over Republicans, 35 percent to 31 percent, on which party would better handle corruption [8].

Voter motivation remains high. Ninety-three percent of likely voters reported extremely high motivation to vote in the September 2024 poll, compared with 86 percent in 2023 [5].