Poll finds support for exploring alternatives to democracy, using violence to stop opponents

A new poll found that American voters have a mutual mistrust of the other side and are open to exploring alternatives to democracy, and that a share of both Democrat and Republican voters believe it is acceptable to use violence to stop the opposing party from achieving its goals.

A majority of voters that support President Biden or former President Trump believe that electing officials from the opposing party in 2024 would create lasting harm in the United States, according to poll results released Wednesday by the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Fifty-two percent of Biden supporters say individuals who support the Republican party are a threat to American life, and 47 percent of Trump supporters say the same about Democrats.  

Forty-one percent of Biden supporters say they believe people who support the Republican party and its ideologies have become “so extreme in what they want that it is acceptable to use violence to stop them from achieving their goals.” Likewise, 38 percent of Trump supporters say it is OK to use violence to stop Democrats from achieving their goals.

The poll found that shares of both Biden and Trump supporters are open to using undemocratic means to achieve the party’s ideals.

A significant share of respondents question if democracy is no longer a viable system of governance; 31 percent of Trump supporters said America should explore alternative forms of government to ensure stability and progress, compared to 24 percent of Biden supporters.

The survey was conducted from Aug. 25 to Sept. 11 with 2,008 registered voters. It has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.