Three weeks ago, The New York Times released a poll of Americans on the question of whether America’s political system could still solve the nation’s problems. The overwhelming response: no. In September 2020, 51% of Americans believed that America’s system could still address America’s problems; by September 2025, that number had declined to 33%. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of Americans believe that America’s political system is too politically divided to solve the nation’s problems.
Advertisement
It’s easy to attribute this growing dissatisfaction with some sort of unique period of gridlock. But that’s not what the data suggests. The number of bills passed into law by Congress has not markedly declined since the Obama era — in the 111th Congress (2009-2011), for example, there were
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!