A new Brennan Center survey finds that large majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and independents share deep-seated concerns about government corruption, which most voters define broadly and blame for many of the country’s biggest problems going unaddressed. The survey, fielded to 2,000 registered voters across the country between April 28 and May 6, also finds widespread support for key anticorruption reforms, such as new limits on money in elections and stronger protections against self-dealing by high-ranking government officials.
The key findings include:
- Voters see corruption as a big problem that permeates every government institution. More than 9 in 10 voters (92 percent) — including supermajorities of Republicans (90 percent), Democrats (93 percent), and independents (93 percent) — believe corruption is a big problem in politics and government. Large majorities of voters also view the last two presidents, Congress, and the Supreme Court as corrupt.
- Voters define corruption broadly. Most voters say corruption covers a range of conduct, including officials using their position for personal gain (97 percent) and prioritizing the interests of billionaires and big corporations over those of the public (94 percent), waste of taxpayer dollars (90 percent), and officials who are unresponsive to their constituents (76 percent).
- Voters identify several causes of corruption in elected officials. Voters point to a lack of consequences for corrupt behavior (79 percent), officials prioritizing personal financial gain (79 percent), and campaign contributions from billionaires (64 percent) and big corporations (62 percent) as top causes of corruption.
- Voters blame corruption for kitchen-table issues going unaddressed. Overwhelming majorities believe corruption is responsible for big problems that government has failed to solve (88 percent) and for dysfunctional public services (83 percent).
- Voters want significant reforms. Major anticorruption policy proposals command widespread support across self-identified partisanship, including a constitutional amendment to restore limits on money in elections (79 percent), mandatory disclosure for all federal campaign contributions and spending (85 percent), the creation of a new federal ethics enforcer (81 percent), and a constitutional amendment limiting the president’s pardon power (69 percent).
Voters See Corruption as a Major Systemic Problem
Voters across the political spectrum identify corruption as a widespread, systemic problem. The poll finds that 92 percent of voters say corruption is a big problem in U.S. politics and government, with 62 percent — including 71 percent Democrats, 64 percent independents, and 53 percent Republicans — calling it a very big problem. Ninety-three percent of voters are somewhat or very concerned about corruption influencing elected officials.