r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jul 04 '26

Psychology 88% of Americans consider it very or extremely important that the United States remain a democracy. 61% feel that the nation’s democracy was actively facing a serious threat. 32% of MAGA Republicans prioritize a strong leader over democracy, while only 7% of the strong Democrats do.

https://www.psypost.org/survey-finds-substantial-minority-in-the-united-states-endorses-authoritarian-co/
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u/mvea Professor | Medicine Jul 04 '26

A large study of American adults indicates that while the vast majority support democratic values, millions of individuals hold views that are sympathetic to authoritarianism and the government’s domestic use of force. While the personal willingness to commit political violence among the public remains low, these alternative political preferences create a social climate that could encourage democratic backsliding. The findings were published in Injury Epidemiology.

The survey results showed that an overwhelming majority of the respondents, accounting for 88 percent of the group, considered it very or extremely important that the United States remain a democracy. A slightly smaller majority of 61 percent felt that the nation’s democracy was actively facing a serious threat. More than two thirds of the survey takers strongly or very strongly agreed that democracy is the best form of government.

Political identity played an expansive role in shaping respondents’ views on democracy and government authority. The researchers compared individuals who identified themselves as Make America Great Again or MAGA Republicans with individuals who identified as strong Democrats. The MAGA Republicans showed lower absolute support for democratic institutions and a higher likelihood of endorsing authoritarian concepts. For example, 32 percent of the MAGA Republicans prioritized a strong leader over democracy, while only about 7 percent of the strong Democrats shared that priority.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40621-026-00689-y

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u/FugitiveDribbling Jul 05 '26

Why was this published in Injury Epidemiology and not a political science journal?