More than four in ten call the U.S. government undemocratic
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. 42.9% of Americans describe government in the U.S. today as undemocratic and 31.8% as democratic. Another 25.2% say it's neither.
Very undemocratic accounts for 22.7% and very democratic for 9.1%. The question asks about government in the U.S. today.
Topline distribution
More than four in ten call the U.S. government undemocratic.
Which option do you think best describes government in the United States today?
n = 1,000 · Sep 25–30, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 25–30, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Democracy, Politics, & Participation |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report
Which option do you think best describes government in the United States today?
Cite this question
APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.