A new study from Northwestern University’s Center for Communication & Public Policy (CCPP), published in Perspectives on Politics, offers powerful insights into how Americans balance their commitment to democratic principles with their economic well-being, revealing that electoral support for democracy is far more conditional than standard surveys suggest.
For decades, public opinion surveys have shown overwhelming support among U.S. residents for democratic values like free elections, impartial courts, and political equality. But what happens when people must trade off those values against tangible economic concerns such as jobs, affordable healthcare, or housing security? The latest research suggests that the answer is both striking and consequential.
Beyond “Democracy on the Ballot”: The Experimental Design
Old-school survey questions ask respondents how much they value democracy — but they rarely force respondents to choose between competing priorities. The Northwestern team, led by CCPP graduate affiliate Chloe Mortenson in collaboration with CCPP director Erik Nisbet ,used an experimental conjoint design that mimics real political decision-making.
In this design, more than 600 participants saw pairs of hypothetical countries that varied across key democratic attributes — rule of law, political equality, freedom of expression, and economic well-being. They were asked to choose which country they would prefer to live in, effectively forcing them to prioritize some principles over others.
Key Findings: Money Matters More Than We Admit
The results reveal important patterns:
- Economic insecurity weakens support for democracy. When participants faced scenarios with financial hardship, their preference for democratic norms like equal treatment under law or freedom of expression declined sharply, even when they had previously expressed strong democratic commitments in surveys.
- What people say isn’t always what they choose. Self-reported support for democratic values did not reliably predict choices when those values conflicted with economic conditions.
- Economic well-being drives democratic trade-offs. When economic conditions were secure, respondents strongly favored democratic principles. But under financial pressure, many became more tolerant of illiberal alternatives — including biased media, weakened checks on leaders, and unequal application of laws.
- Age and education outweigh ideology. Interestingly, political ideology played a relatively minor role in predicting whether a person would prioritize democratic norms — whereas age and educational attainment were stronger predictors of democratic resilience.
Why This Matters for Elections and Messaging
These findings carry powerful implications for political communication and democratic resilience:
- Campaigns that focus solely on abstract democratic ideals may fall flat with voters who are experiencing financial strain. The research suggests that economic messaging grounded in everyday material concerns could be far more effective in reinforcing democratic support.
- During the 2024 election, messaging emphasizing “democracy on the ballot” often underperformed — in part because economic hardship made voters less receptive to appeals about institutional norms that seemed abstract compared to pocketbook realities.
- As the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race approach, political strategists from all sides would benefit from understanding that economic well-being and democratic attitudes are deeply intertwined — and, importantly, that this relationship transcends traditional ideological divides.
Looking Ahead: Reframing Democratic Engagement
This research reminds us that democracy depends not just on high-minded ideals but on the very real conditions in which people live their lives. When voters feel economically secure, they are more likely to uphold liberal democratic norms. When those conditions deteriorate, even strong self-reported support for democracy can give way to tolerance for illiberal alternatives.
For scholars, communicators, and policymakers alike, the challenge is clear: building democratic resilience requires connecting democratic values with tangible, everyday concerns — especially economic security — rather than assuming abstract appeals will suffice.