October 21, 2026

Most Americans support democracy

Jennifer Rubin -    As the recently-released 17th American Values survey (a mammoth sampling of 5200 adults) reveals, we have a pro-democracy, reality-based 65 percent (or so) majority, and a discrete radical minority — mostly white Christian nationalists — that holds views the rest of the country find abhorrent. Unfortunately, the latter group dominates one major party and holds disproportionate political power.

….Two-thirds of Americans (68%) say empathy is a foundational moral value that helps build a healthy society, while 27% say it can become dangerous when it leads people away from building a society guided by God’s truth. The vast majority of Democrats (84%) and independents (70%) agree that empathy helps build a healthy society, compared with 54% of Republicans.

White evangelical Protestants are the only religious group in which a majority does not agree that empathy is a foundational moral value (42%). Instead, a majority (54%) say empathy can be dangerous.

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