In the American Bar Association’s 2023 “Survey of Civic Literacy,” 70% of respondents consider public understanding of how government works to be “not very informed” (53%) or “not at all informed” (17%). A massive 85% of U.S. residents believe civility is worse compared to 10 years ago, and a majority believe social media and media are to blame, according to the fifth annual American Bar Association Survey of Civic Literacy.
The survey showed that even in these divisive times, most of the U.S. public believe there is room for compromise among elected officials. Although there has been heated debate in local, state and federal governments over various issues in recent years, more than 3 in 4 survey participants (79%) widely supported compromise. By comparison, just 13% said they want leaders to hold their ground until they win.
