A new poll finds New Yorkers and the nation feel the political system is rigged.
The survey from the nonprofit research organization the FrameWorks Institute revealed most Americans, across age, income and gender, feel the current way elected officials oversee government matters does not work for them. While the feeling is highest among Democrats, 58% of Republicans feel the system is rigged against them as well.
Andrew Volmert, senior vice president of programs for the institute, said the feeling is becoming part of everyday life.
“Whether they’re thinking about the economy or government, housing, healthcare or education, people widely assume that our society is set up to benefit the powerful few at the expense of the rest of us. The deep dissatisfaction with the existing system underlies the anti-incumbent sentiment that we’re seeing,” Volmert reported.
Observers said the frustration is what’s driving voters’ desire for change. The poll showed 60% of Americans support major changes to the political system. Other polls show more people trust Democrats than Republicans on the economy for the first time in more than a decade.
Despite Democrats’ trust advantage on costs, data show most people’s distrust of both political parties could impede work on their affordability agenda. The new poll also found Americans blame government for the high cost of living. Respondents feel the president and current Congress are so focused on obstructing their political opponents, genuine solutions to affordability issues do not get enacted.
Clara Blustein Lindholm, director of research integration for the institute, said Americans relate affordability issues to problems with democracy and do not treat them as two separate issues.
“They recognize the cost of living crisis as a failure of the government to respond to their most pressing concerns and they point to it as proof the government doesn’t care about their lives,” Lindholm noted.
A Navigator Research poll finds 60% of Americans want President Donald Trump and Congress to focus on affordability and the cost of living, though less than a quarter of people said it has been happening.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.
