Joe Biden’s inauguration will be far from normal as the National Guard patrols a locked-down Washington D.C. and coronavirus measures dictate a socially distanced ceremony. Despite the transition of power, few American college students fully trust the country’s system of government.
A new college survey of 700 undergraduates finds that just 7% have a lot of trust in American democracy right now. Almost half (46%) of students have some trust, while 39% don’t have too much trust and 8% have no trust in American democracy.
“Political leaders on both sides disgust me,” a University of Iowa student says. “I have no respect for politicians, nor the two parties.”
Levels of trust differ across lines of political leaning and gender, though. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to say they have zero trust (16% vs. 7%). And male students are four times as likely as female students to have a lot of trust (13% vs. 3%).
Female Students are Less Likely to Trust American Democracy
How much trust do you have in American democracy?
Optimism for the nation’s democracy is also low. Just 5% of students say they have a lot of optimism for American democracy, while 47% have some. Few (4%) Democrats and Republicans alike have a lot of optimism, but Republicans are more likely to have none at all (18% vs. 7%).
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of students believe Trump should have been removed from office for encouraging his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol. An overwhelming majority (91%) of Democrats agree, compared to 74% of Independents and only 13% of Republicans. His approval rating among college students is just 12%.
Nearly half (45%) of students overall plan to watch Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, while almost a quarter (23%) are not sure if they will or not. A majority (61%) of Democrats plan to watch, compared to 2 in 10 (21%) Republicans.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted in January among a sample of 700 full-time and part-time students attending colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
