As we noted in a previous analysis, a new survey from Issue One conducted by GQR and Redbud Consulting (N=1,500; fielded September 3-9, 2024) found that there are partisan and gender gaps in satisfaction with how democracy is working and gender gaps in satisfaction with how the electoral system is working. We also asked respondents to share how they view reforms to the political system. The results reveal broad support for a range of structural political reforms, particularly those aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the U.S. democratic process.
Key Takeaways
Civic Education: There is overwhelming support for civic education, with 94% of respondents affirming its importance. The majority believe that key topics such as the Constitution, voting rights, and how elections work should be central to the curriculum. Federal involvement in funding civic education is favored by a majority, with 61% supporting either national or state-level funding by the federal government.
Social Media Accountability (Section 230 Reform): There is strong bipartisan support for holding social media companies legally accountable for illegal or unethical activities on their platforms. 79% of respondents support this type of legislation, with support being highest among Democrats (87%) but still significant among Republicans (78%) and independents (62%).
Campaign Finance Reform: A strong majority (71%) support reforms aimed at increasing transparency and limiting the influence of wealthy donors in political campaigns. This issue receives broad backing across party lines, with Democrats showing the highest support (76%), followed by Republicans (70%) and independents (56%).
Ranked-Choice Voting: Support for ranked-choice voting is more divided, with 47% of respondents in favor of implementing it in their state.
Nonpartisan Redistricting: There is broad support (57%) for the use of independent commissions to draw congressional and legislative district boundaries. Democrats are the most supportive (64%), followed by Republicans (55%), though independents are more tepid (31%).
Multi-member Proportional Representation: Support for multi-member proportional representation is moderate, with 51% of respondents in favor.
Civic Education
There is near universal support for civics education, with 94% of respondents saying it is important to make sure that all Americans are taught civics. On what should be included in civic education, there is broad agreement on several fundamental subjects. A strong majority of voters support teaching the Constitution (74%) and voting rights and protection (73%), emphasizing the importance of foundational democratic principles. How elections work (69%) and understanding political parties (61%) also rank highly, indicating a desire for education on the political process. Topics such as protected speech and protesting (57%) and past and present civil rights movements (50%) further highlight the focus on rights and historical struggles for justice. Other subjects, like the American Revolution (49%), the history of slavery and the Civil War (44%), and major policy debates (43%), also receive notable support. Additionally, voters back instruction on understanding personal political views (48%) and the role of media in a democracy (47%). Immigration and religion garner less attention (42% and 36%, respectively), but still significant. Overall, these results show a strong consensus for a comprehensive civic education that covers both historical and contemporary political issues.
On who should bear the responsibility for funding civic education, 32% of voters believe that the federal government should fund a national civic education program. Another 29% support the idea of the federal government providing funding to states for state-level civic education programs. This suggests that a majority of respondents favor federal responsibility, either directly or through state support (61% combined). A smaller percentage (23%) believe states should fund their own programs, while local community funding has limited support (8%). Private foundations and philanthropy are seen as the least favored option for funding, with only 7% support. Overall, the results indicate a clear preference for federal involvement in ensuring broad access to civic education across the country.
Section 230
There is strong bipartisan support for legislation to hold social media companies legally accountable for illegal or unethical activities on their platforms. Overall, 79% of respondents favor the idea, with 37% “strongly favoring” and 42% “somewhat favoring” it. Support is highest among Democrats, with 87% in favor, including 43% who strongly support the legislation. Republicans also show significant backing, with 78% in favor, including 36% who strongly favor the idea. 62% of independents are in favor. The results indicate broad consensus across political affiliations for holding social media companies accountable.
Campaign Finance Reform
There is strong overall support for changes aimed at increasing transparency and reducing the influence of wealthy donors and interest groups in political campaigns. A combined 71% of respondents favor reform, with 41% “strongly favoring” and 30% “somewhat favoring” it. Support is particularly strong among Democrats, with 76% in favor, including 47% who strongly favor reform. Republicans also show broad support, with 70% in favor, though evenly split between strong and moderate support (35% each). Independents, while less supportive overall, still show a majority in favor (56%), although 25% remain uncertain. Opposition to reform is relatively low across all parties, with only 18% of Republicans, 19% of independents, and 15% of Democrats opposing it to some degree. This indicates that campaign finance reform is a generally popular issue, but there is more uncertainty and weaker intensity of support among independents compared to partisans.
Ranked-Choice Voting
Respondents from across political identities expressed mixed opinions about ranked-choice voting, with a notable level of uncertainty. Overall, 47% of respondents support implementing ranked-choice voting, with 17% “strongly favoring” and 30% “somewhat favoring” it. Support is highest among Democrats, with 55% in favor, including 22% who strongly support it. Republicans and Independents show less enthusiasm, with 40% and 37% favoring ranked-choice voting, respectively. Republicans also have a higher proportion of strong opposition (23%) compared to Democrats (12%) and independents (16%). These results suggest that while ranked-choice voting has moderate support, especially among Democrats, there is significant hesitation and opposition, particularly from Republicans and independents.
Nonpartisan Redistricting
There is broad support for using an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative district boundaries, though opinions vary across political affiliations. Overall, 57% of respondents favor the reform, with 28% “strongly favoring” and 29% “somewhat favoring” it. Support is strongest among Democrats, with 64% in favor, including 35% who strongly support the idea. Republicans also show majority support (55%), though their strong support is lower at 22%, and 19% somewhat oppose it. Independents are more divided, with only 37% in favor and a significant 31% uncertain, the highest level of uncertainty among all groups. While opposition is relatively modest across the board, it is slightly higher among Republicans (32% oppose) and independents (22% oppose). These results still suggest a broad interest in nonpartisan redistricting.
Multimember Proportional Representation
There is moderate level of support across all political affiliations for multimember proportional representation, though many respondents are uncertain. Overall, 51% favor the system, with 16% “strongly favoring” and 35% “somewhat favoring” it. Democrats are slightly more supportive, with 57% in favor, including 19% who “strongly favor” it. Republicans also show majority support, with 49% in favor, though their strong support is lower at 15%. Among independents, support is somewhat weaker, with 40% favoring the system, and a notable 30% remain unsure — the highest level of uncertainty among the groups. Opposition is relatively balanced across party lines, with 22% of Republicans, 19% of independents, and 18% of Democrats opposing the idea to varying degrees. The results suggest that while there is a reasonable level of interest in proportional representation, a significant portion of respondents, especially independents, are unsure about the system.
