POLITICO Survey Finds 7 of 11 Historians Say U.S. Democracy Is Weaker at 250
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 4
POLITICO Survey Finds 7 of 11 Historians Say U.S. Democracy Is Weaker at 250
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 4
Summary
Seven of 11 historians surveyed by POLITICO said American democracy is mostly weaker than in the past, framing the semiquincentennial around institutional erosion rather than celebration.
Nine of 11 said the Trump administration has changed U.S. democracy in ways that will outlast his term, while six were uncertain America will survive another 250 years.
The project asked 11 historians and writers to assess what makes someone American, the country’s global role and what it needs to endure, with many citing polarization, voter suppression, gerrymandering and dark money.
Even so, the panel was not uniformly bleak: seven said U.S. history leaves them mostly optimistic about the future, and eight still called America a net force for good in the world.
Amid deep divisions, can America's civic 'superpower' truly unite a nation of competing regional cultures?
As youth lose faith in a system they see as run by dark money, what will it take to restore their trust?
How are court decisions and secret spending fundamentally rewriting the rules of American democracy?
Democracy in Crisis: How Polarization, Misinformation, and Inequality Threaten America’s Future
Overview
As America nears its 250th anniversary, concern about the state of its democracy is widespread. Many Americans lack basic civic knowledge, with nearly half unaware of what the anniversary commemorates, and this gap is especially pronounced among younger generations who feel less connected to the nation's founding. Deepening political polarization has split the country into opposing camps, turning politics into a zero-sum game. Public trust in government has sharply declined since the 1960s and never recovered, creating a persistent trust deficit. These trends, combined with generational divides in engagement and understanding, highlight the urgent challenges facing American democracy in 2026.