May 2026
Americans on
U.S. Democracy at 250
A National Survey
250th Anniversary
An Opportunity for Reflection and Assessment
For Decades Now Numerous Surveys Have Found Majority Dissatisfaction With Government
Why? What Do Americans Want?
PPC Has Studied On a Regular Basis Over the Last Two Decades
For decades now numerous surveys have found majority dissatisfaction with the Federal Government
Methodology
Field Dates: March 11-19, 2026
Sample Size: 1,200 Adults��Confidence Intervals: +/- 2.9%
Sample: Provided by multiple online opt-in panels, including Cint, Dynata and Prodege.
Sample collection and quality control was managed by Quant-E under the direction of the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation.
Feelings about the Federal Government
How much of the time do you think you can trust the Federal government to do what is right?
�
ONLY SOME OF THE TIME OR NEVER
Which phrase best describes how you feel about the way the federal government works?
Dissatisfied/ Angry
Imagine the Founders of the American republic were somehow able to observe how the US government is operating today. In your opinion, would the Founders think that the US government is fulfilling the vision they had:
Fulfilling the Founders’ Vision
Not Well
Government Seen as Failing to Live Up to the Social Contract That Goes Back to the Founders
The Social Contract
Part One
Government Should Serve the Common Good, Not Factions
The Founders on Serving the Common Good
“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people;”
John Adams
“…the word republic means the public good or the good of the whole” – Thomas Paine
The Founders on Serving the Common Good
Would you say the government in Washington DC is pretty much:
Who does the Federal Government Serve?
Run for the benefit of all the people
Run by a few big interests looking out for themselves
Would you say the government in Washington DC is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves, or run for the benefit of all the people?
Who does the Federal Government Serve?
Run by a few big interests
Run for the
benefit of all people
How often do you think members of Congress put a higher priority on serving the interests of organizations and individuals who have donated money to their election, rather than serving the good of the country?
Prioritizing Campaign Donors
HARDLY EVER + OCCASIONALLY
OFTEN + �ALMOST ALWAYS
The Social Contract
Part Two
Government Should be Guided By the People
What the Founders Said:
“A government ought to [be] ... free from every other control but a regard to the public good and to the sense of the people.” – Alexander Hamilton
��
Government should not take action “subversive of the authority of the people.”
James Madison
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What the Founders Said:
Thinking about what the Founders of the American republic were trying to achieve when they designed the American system of government, do you think that the amount of influence the American people have on the government in Washington is [more / less] than they intended?�
Fulfilling the Founders’ Vision?
LESS
Federal Government Responsiveness
On the whole, how much do you think the decisions that the Federal government makes should be guided by the views of the people? (0-10 scale)
MEAN
Federal Government Responsiveness
On the whole, how much do you think the decisions that the Federal government makes are guided by the views of the people? (0-10 scale)
MEAN
Decisions are guided by the views of the people less than they should be
Federal Government Responsiveness
Policy Alignment
About what percentage of the time do elected officials in the Federal government make decisions that are the same as the decisions that the majority of Americans would make?
MEAN
Does Government Do What the Majority of People Want?
Gillens and Page examined 1,779 cases of proposed changes to federal policy from 1980 to 2002.
Majority support for a policy 🡪 enacted about 30% of the time.
80+ percent support 🡪 enacted 43% of the time.
When popular policy is enacted, it is often because business interest groups were also in favor
Dissatisfaction With Efforts to
Listen to the People
“As it is essential to liberty that the government in general should have a common interest with the people, so it is particularly essential that [Congress] ... should have ... an intimate sympathy with the people.” – James Madison ���
What the Founders Said:
Adequacy of Elections
Do you think in the United States today:
Elections have proven to be a fully adequate means for the people to express their views on what the government should do, and to set a direction for the country until the next election.
Elections alone are not enough. The government should make an active effort in between elections to find out how the people view the issues the government is dealing with.
Understanding the Views of the People
Members seek to understand the views of their constituents less than they should
Current Methods for Listening to the People
Understanding the Views of Constituents
How much should Members of Congress consider letters or calls from their constituents? (0-10 scale)
MEAN
Understanding the Views of Constituents
How much should Members of Congress consider town halls? (0-10 scale)
MEAN
Understanding the Views of Constituents
How much should Members of Congress consider standard polls, in which a broad cross section of constituents answers a question on whether they favor or oppose a policy position? (0-10 scale)
MEAN
Innovative Efforts to Consult
Representative Samples
“It is the reason, alone, of the public, that ought to control and regulate government.”
James Madison
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What the Founders Said:
Public Consultation
A representative sample of citizens is recruited
Working online or in-person groups:
Aggregated results forwarded to Congress, released publicly
Importance of Public Consultations
The Founders built this country on the principle that nobody knows what’s best for the people better than the people. Consulting citizens is a good idea for the same reason the Founders thought that juries are a good idea. Both are founded on the common sense of ordinary citizens when they are provided with the facts and have a chance to deliberate. Research shows that given correct information the majority of citizens come to conclusions that are reasonable and even show wisdom—probably more than Congress.
FIRST ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Importance of Public Consultations
Too many Americans are emotional, volatile and not all that smart. Most issues are difficult to understand, and a sample of typical Americans would not have the necessary expertise to make sound judgments on policy issues. It would just be a distraction for Members of Congress and interfere with their efforts to solve complex problems. Congress may not be perfect, but they are more reliable than a group of randomly chosen citizens.
FIRST ARGUMENT AGAINST
Conclusion Re: Public Consultation
Do you favor or oppose doing public consultations with representative samples of citizens, giving them a briefing on a current issue in Congress, having them evaluate arguments for and against policy options, and finally making their recommendations?
FAVOR OPPOSE
Would the Founders Approve?
Do you think that the Founders of the American Republic would approve or disapprove of conducting these kinds of public consultations in states and districts on issues before Congress?
APPROVE
DISAPPROVE
How MoCs Should Respond to Recommendations
When these kinds of public consultations are conducted in districts and states, do you think Members of Congress should or should not get briefed on the recommendations from the public consultation?
SHOULD
Do you think that Members of Congress should or should not publicly respond to the recommendations?
SHOULD
Influence of Majority’s Recommendation
Suppose a majority of both Republicans and Democrats in the general public arrive at a common recommendation about what should be done about a policy issue. How much should their Members of Congress consider that recommendation when deciding how to vote on legislation?
Should be given no consideration
Should be given minor consideration
Should be given major consideration
Always determine how the Member votes
Congressional Representatives Committing to Consult Constituents
Statement by MoC
“I have confidence in the American people. Evidence shows that when Americans have the opportunity to think through important policy issues, this often reveals that Republicans and Democrats agree on many issues, even ones that Congress is polarized on.” [Extremely positive to Extremely negative]
Extremely + Very positive
Somewhat + Lean positive
Statement by MoC
“As your representative, I will pay close attention when scientifically selected representative samples of the people I represent are consulted on issues before Congress–either through surveys or in-person meetings. I will respond thoughtfully to their conclusions and give them major consideration when I make decisions.”
Extremely + Very positive
Somewhat + Lean positive
Statement by MoC
When majorities of Republicans and Democrats who I represent, and nationwide, agree on how to address key issues, I will look for opportunities to develop and advance legislation that builds on that bipartisan common ground.”
Extremely + Very positive
Somewhat + Lean positive
Finding Common Ground
When Congress gets stuck in gridlock, do you think:
NOT HELP, because the gridlock reflects the polarization among the people
HELP break the logjam, because the people are less polarized than Congress
If Congress were to take into account the views of the people, this would…
If Congress were to take into account the views of the people more than they do now, do you think they would be more likely or less likely to find common ground?
Taking the Views of the People Into Account More
MORE
May 2026
Americans on
U.S. Democracy at 250
A National Survey