Why ‘democratic neutrality’ is an overlooked threat to American democracy

Researchers at Notre Dame surveyed over forty-eight thousand Americans to understand a political puzzle: how do politicians with antidemocratic views keep winning if most voters oppose such practices? Per The Conversation, the answer involves a group that prior research overlooked — Americans who are indifferent to antidemocratic practices rather than opposed. While just eight percent actively support making voting harder for opponents, up to half of Americans remain neutral on democratic restrictions. The Conversation reports that these neutral voters behave identically to supporters at the ballot box, which explains electoral success for politicians like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who won a GOP primary in twenty twenty-six despite continuing to reject the twenty twenty election. Nearly two-thirds of Americans express neutrality or support for some antidemocratic practice.

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