{A new survey shows that satisfaction with democratic governance is below 50% in eight out of 9 European and North American nations polled, with majorities in almost all expressing fear for its long-term viability.
{The survey, that collected answers from almost 10,000 respondents across the Croatian Republic, the French Republic, Italy, Holland, Poland, Spain, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the US, revealed that contentment with democracy was low in all nation except Sweden.
{A senior analyst commented, "Despite strong backing for democracy's ideals across many countries, the public are clearly disappointed with how democratic governance is functioning in actual use and worried about its future."
Growing Concerns and Desire for Transformation
{The survey revealed that concern about democracy was rising rapidly in some countries, especially the Netherlands and France, and that there was a intense call for "radical transformation" in nearly all nations.
Under a one-third of those surveyed in six countries – such as Croatia (18%), France (19%), the United States (20%), the UK (26%), the Kingdom of Spain (27%), and Italy (29%) – said they felt content with how democracy was operating in their country.
Views were mixed in Holland (36% content, 37% dissatisfied) and the Republic of Poland (40% content, 31% discontent), while the Kingdom of Sweden was the only nation where a larger share were content with democratic performance (65%).
Viewed Decline in Democracy's Performance
Across the nine nations, a greater number of individuals said democracy had got worse rather than advanced in the last five years, with views in the French Republic and Holland – whose administrations fell during the period – being especially downbeat.
In great numbers in the French Republic (81%) and in Holland (76%), respondents felt the way democracy was functioning had declined, but clear most people in the United States (61%), Spain, and the United Kingdom (58% respectively) also held that identical view.
Long-Term Worries and Key Risks
Looking to the future, sizable majorities in every nations aside from Sweden were anxious about the condition of democratic systems in five years’ time: France (86%), the Kingdom of Spain (80%), the UK and Poland (75% respectively), the Netherlands (74%), Croatia (73%), the United States (69%), and the Italian Republic (64%).
Not many individuals felt administrations at all levels reflected their perspectives adequately, although local government was viewed more favorably.
Nonetheless, there was strong backing for democratic systems across the majority of nations, with substantial majorities indicating it was crucial to society and worth defending.
Misinformation, lack of accountability, fanaticism, and bribery were considered the key threats, with fake news seen as the biggest danger in France (56%), the UK (64%), the Kingdom of Sweden (67%), Holland (75%), and the Republic of Poland (76%).
Geographic Differences and Potential Remedies
Across the United States (63%) and in countries in the south of the European continent – the Kingdom of Spain (73%), the Croatian Republic (80%), and the Italian Republic (47%, combined with wealth disparity) – those surveyed were more inclined to cite graft as the largest risk.
Among a variety of possible solutions for bolstering democratic systems, participants identified mainly more robust anti-graft legislation and enforcement, tighter regulation of social media, improved public awareness programs, and preserving the independence of the legal system.
Backing for Sweeping Transformation
Despite the overall strong support for democratic systems, there was an just as intense call for drastic reform, with more respondents in most countries feeling the political system was biased in favor of the affluent and dominant rather than working for the entire population.
Support for drastic transformation was elevated in most countries, at 52% in the Kingdom of Spain, 55% in Italy, 60% in the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom, 66% in France, and 69% in the Croatian Republic.
Nonetheless, there was also a distinct leaning in every nations for elected representatives who foster consensus.