(MENAFN) A new national survey indicates that a majority of people in the US feel the country’s democratic system is no longer operating effectively. The findings, released Wednesday by a major research organization, reflect broad unease about the state of American governance.

The poll, conducted between July and August and involving more than 20,000 adults, asked participants to evaluate how well the political system is functioning. While respondents largely agreed on the fundamental values of democracy, their confidence in the system’s performance was noticeably weak.

Results show that 51% believe democracy is “performing poorly or very poorly,” whereas only 24% rated it as “performing well,” and 25% considered it “okay.”

Political affiliation influenced how people viewed the system: those aligned with the Republican Party tended to express more optimism, while Democrats were generally more negative about how democracy is functioning.

The study also revealed widespread concern about political leadership. A sizable 44% said they do not trust current leaders’ “commitment to having a strong democracy,” compared to 27% who expressed trust and 28% who were unsure.

Doubts extended to the justice system as well. Around 55% said mechanisms meant to guarantee equal treatment under the law are not functioning well, while 23% considered them “fair” and 22% said they work well.

Attitudes toward the criminal justice system followed a similar pattern: 55% rated it as “not working well,” 18% said it is “working well,” and 27% described it as “okay,” according to the survey.

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