Poll: Nearly Half of Americans Say US Likely to Cease Being a Democracy

Nearly half of all Americans say it’s likely that the United States could "cease to be a democracy in the future," according to a new poll from Yahoo News and YouGov.

Most Democrats and Republicans said that it’s "likely," while just under half of all Americans said the same:

• 49% of all respondents said it’s "likely."
• 55% of Democrats said the same.
• 53% of Republicans said the same.
• 25% of Americans said that U.S. democracy is "unlikely" to end.
• 25% of Americans are unsure.

The survey, conducted between the public hearings held by the House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, also found that less than one-quarter of Americans watched the proceedings live:

• 24% watched the live broadcast.
• 27% watched news coverage of the broadcast later.
• 49% did not follow the hearings.

Live viewing was highest among people who voted for President Joe Biden, Democrats, and MSNBC viewers. People who voted for former President Donald Trump ranked among the lowest to view the broadcast live, followed by Republicans and Fox News viewers:

• 72% of live viewers identify as Democrats or independents who lean Democrat.
• 52% watch MSNBC.
• 47% voted for Biden.
• 44% identify as a Democrat.
• 22% watch Fox News.
• 13% identify as a Republican.
• 9% voted for Trump.

Under half of all Americans agree with the claim that the events of Jan. 6 were “part of a conspiracy to overturn the election”:

• 45% say it was “part of a conspiracy to overturn the election.”
• 35% say it was not.
• 20% are unsure.

YouGov polled 1,541 U.S. adults from June 10-13, 2022 with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.

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