Anti-establishment views widely held by the American public, including by large shares of Democrats and Republicans. Where Democrats and Republicans differ is on the role of institutions and expertise. Democrats believe government institutions are necessary to effectively address problems; Republicans think government decisions should be driven more by common sense than by expert analysis.
What you need to know about Americans' views of expertise and political institutions, as of the December 26-29, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- Large shares of Americans hold certain views that are skeptical of the establishment. Majorities say they completely or mostly agree with the following statements:
- Graduating from a top university does not make someone better qualified to govern (82% agree)
- Elites are out of touch with the realities of everyday life (82%)
- Political institutions have been captured by the rich and powerful (80%)
- Most important decisions in politics happen behind closed doors, without public accountability (75%)
- Leaders who come from ordinary backgrounds better represent people like me (74%)
- Common sense is more important than expert analysis for deciding what the government should do (63%)
- The people, not experts or elites, should make most political decisions (61%)
- Smaller shares of Americans agree with the four included statements that are more sympathetic to the establishment:
- Complex societal problems need professional, organized government institutions to address them effectively (58%)
- For many policies, ordinary people lack the information necessary to make good decisions (56%)
- Bipartisan agreement usually signals that a policy is reasonable and well thought out (49%, though only 23% disagree)
- Institutions are usually acting in good faith, even when their decisions hurt people (26%)
- Many — though not all — anti-establishment views are widespread among both Democrats and Republicans
- A large majority (78%) of Democrats but only 47% of Republicans agree that complex societal problems need professional, organized government institutions to address them effectively
- Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to agree that political institutions have been captured by the rich and powerful (91% vs. 75%)
- Democrats are far less likely than Republicans to agree that common sense is more important than expert analysis for deciding what the government should do (55% vs. 78%)
Image: Getty (Sophie Park / Stringer)
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