Americans’ satisfaction with democracy has risen from its all-time low. This increase is primarily due to Republicans.
According to a new Gallup Survey, 34% of US adults are satisfied with how democracy is working in America. That’s a rise of +6 percentage points since 2023, when satisfaction hit a record low (28%). Of course, 34% is nothing to celebrate. In 1984, fully 61% of Americans were pleased with our democracy.

This YoY increase is almost entirely due to Republicans. Their satisfaction with democracy rose by +16 pp. Independents also recorded a slight rise (+7 pp). Democrats, on the other hand, recorded a -3 pp decrease.

It’s no surprise that Republican sentiment is rising, while Democratic sentiment is declining. The switching of the White House from one party to the other almost always sparks a mood boost among Americans backing the winning party and a mood decline among the losers. (See “Hope in the Markets, Fear in Politics.”) It’s the same reason the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index has soared since Trump won in November: Small business owners are predominantly Republican. (See “Soft Indicators Could Take a Hard Fall.”)
Despite these diverging attitudes, the absolute level of satisfaction between the two parties is almost equal (≈34%). Apparently, Republicans have a lower baseline level of satisfaction than Democrats. When Republicans are having a good day, they are equally as satisfied as Democrats having a bad day.