Nearly half think bypassing Congress and the courts would leave the U.S. worse off
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. After reading about fast growth in China and Singapore, 47.4% of Americans say the U.S. would be worse off if its leaders could act without Congress and the courts, and 17.9% say better off.
Before answering, respondents read that China and Singapore grew quickly under leaders who faced fewer limits. Another 21.7% say the U.S. would be about the same, and 13.1% are not sure.
Topline distribution
Nearly half think bypassing Congress and the courts would leave the U.S. worse off.
Thinking about these examples, would the United States be better or worse off if its leaders could act more quickly, without having to go through Congress and the courts?
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
Thinking about these examples, would the United States be better or worse off if its leaders could act more quickly, without having to go through Congress and the courts?
Cite this question
APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.