As skepticism towards American Democracy grows, understanding the roots of public distrust and fostering accountability may be key to restoring public faith.

Imagine stepping into the voting booth and wondering if your vote matters at all. You check a box, but in the back of your mind, a nagging question remains: does the government even care about what I want? According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, nearly half of Americans believe that the nation’s democracy is not doing a good job representing ordinary citizens, while more than three quarters express that American democracy is currently under threat. Political polarization, media misinformation, and a growing tide of populism all contribute to the growing disillusionment of American government and democracy. This crisis of faith raises pressing questions: can the upcoming 2024 election restore our confidence to some extent, or are we doomed on a dangerous slide toward an even more divided nation?

One factor driving this distrust is increasingly polarized political beliefs. The deepening divisions between not only political parties but also the American public make it harder for people to believe that political institutions serve all citizens instead of just one political faction. Citizens often witness political gridlocks that leave pressing matters unresolved, and they are left wondering why a nation with such abundant resources can’t seem to get anything done. In fact, there are perverse incentives for members of the opposing party in Congress to not work with the sitting president. Suppose Joe Biden were to pass a bill that’s extremely popular around the country. That would lead to him, and in turn the Democrats, getting credit for that bill so that the Republicans stand a lesser chance of winning in the next election. Therefore, the Republicans will try to prevent those bills from being passed. This institutional setup has always been the case in the United States, but in the period of the last few decades, tactics of this nature have increased drastically. In this zero-sum thinking, victory for one party seems like defeat for the other, and this mindset erodes public faith in a system that does not seem to represent all citizens fairly.

Adding fuel to the fire is social media misinformation that distorts the public’s perception of both the political process and election integrity. During the 2020 election, rumors of widespread voter fraud by the Democratic Party caused an uproar, especially surrounding the increase in mail-in voting due to COVID. While these claims lacked substantial evidence, they fed pervasive fears that the democratic process was being tampered with. This kind of misinformation, whether deliberate or not, creates a ripple effect in which the public is swept into doubt and makes it harder for people to agree upon a set of basic facts. 

At the heart of this erosion of faith is the rise of populism–a phenomenon fed by economic insecurity that has reshaped the way many see their leaders. While some populist leaders sincerely aim to make the government more responsive to the people, others exploit the frustration of those who feel neglected by a system that seems to favor elites for personal or partisan gain, further inciting division and weakening faith in democratic institutions. 

Dr. Matthew Dickinson, a political science professor at Middlebury College, sees both danger and opportunity in the upcoming election. He contends that he is “hopeful that this election is not going to have the same negative repercussions as the last one,” but “not optimistic that’s going to happen.” Indeed, the process of healing America’s faith in democracy cannot happen overnight by merely holding an election. For public trust to heal, Americans must see leaders genuinely invested in the public good instead of just the next election cycle. If political leaders continue to rely on divisive language and prioritize winning over governance, skepticism will only deepen.  

Ultimately, the government must demonstrate accountability to its people. This entails educating voters on the realities of policy-making: though the president often receives blame or praise for national or global events, the majority of issues are beyond the direct control of the president. While Biden faced criticism over handling border issues during his term of office, a bipartisan border control bill he attempted to advance early this year was voted down by Republicans under the lead of Donald Trump, who opposed this bill on the grounds that it offered a disadvantage to his immigration-focused reelection. By focusing on who truly holds power instead of assigning blame, Americans may be better equipped to hold their representatives accountable and advocate for change.

As the tendency for voters to vote on a nationalized basis increases, it is critical that we bring attention to micro factors and learn who really is responsible for the outcomes we are seeing rather than blaming it on the president. Until then, perhaps the real question isn’t why democracy is failing us, but whether those in power are willing to confront why. 

Jessica Wu