Across the nations surveyed, a median of 64% disagree with the statement "Most elected officials care what people like me think." And, in nearly every nation surveyed, those who think politicians don't care about average citizens are more likely to be dissatisfied with the way democracy is functioning in their country.

Attitudes toward democratic principles have remained largely stable since Pew Research Center first polled on many of these topics internationally in 2015. Still, there have been a few notable changes. Support for freedom of expression on the internet, freedom of the press, free speech and gender equality has risen in many countries.

In the U.S., the percentage of people who said that freedom of the press is very important rose by 13 percentage points from 2015 to 2019. However, this increase occurred mostly among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, rising from 64% to 85%. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, it remained largely unchanged (72% to 77%).

Despite recent concerns about the health of democracy in the United States, Europe and Latin America, respondents from these places are often more likely than those from other regions to voice strong support for democratic principles.

These are among the major findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 38,426 people in 34 countries from May 13 to Oct. 2, 2019. Additional key findings from the survey are:

MANY ARE FRUSTRATED WITH HOW DEMOCRACY IS FUNCTIONING. Across the nations polled, a median of 52% are dissatisfied with how their democracy is working, while 44% are satisfied. Greeks, Bulgarians and Nigerians register the highest levels of dissatisfaction. In general, people with lower incomes and those who oppose the ruling party are more likely to be dissatisfied with the functioning of democracy. In many European countries, supporters of right-wing populist political parties are especially likely to hold this view.

ONE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS IS THAT THEY SEE POLITICAL ELITES AS OUT OF TOUCH. The view that elected
officials don't care what average citizens think is particularly widespread in Europe - a median of 69% across the 14 European Union countries polled express this view. And 71% share this view in the U.S. In contrast, fewer say this in the three Asian emerging economies included in the study: India (31%), the Philippines (29%) and Indonesia (18%).

THERE ARE DIFFERING ATTITUDES TOWARD DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND INSTITUTIONS.
The nine democratic rights and institutions asked about on the Center's survey receive widely different levels of support from global publics. The idea of a fair judiciary is widely considered the most vital - a median of 82% say it is very important, and, of the nine items tested, it has the highest percentage describing it as very important in 19 countries (it has the second-highest percentage in 10 countries). Gender equality is next - a median of 74% say it is very important, and it is either the first- or second-highest rated principle in most nations, although it is the lowest priority in Nigeria.

Freedom of religion also garners a great deal of support. Across the nations polled, a median of 68% consider it very important, and it is the top priority in all three sub-Saharan African nations in the study as well as in Turkey, Indonesia and India.

Holding regular elections with at least two political parties is considered very important by a median of 65% across the nations polled, and more than half hold this view in every nation surveyed except Russia. There is also general support for the three forms of free expression tested on the survey - free speech, freedom of the press and freedom on the internet - although the strength of that support varies cross-nationally.

The largest shares of the public describing all nine rights and institutions tested on the survey as very important are in the U.S. and Hungary; still, only a third in these countries (33%) consider all nine very important. In eight nations, the share of the public expressing this view is in the single digits.

READ THE REPORT:
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/02/27/democratic-rights-popular-globally-but-commitment-to-them-not-always-strong
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METHODOLOGY:
https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/interactives/international-methodology/all-survey/all-country/all-year
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SURVEY TOPLINE:
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/PG_2020.02.27_global-democracy_TOPLINE.pdf
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