Survey Finds Substantial Minority of U.S. Adults Endorse Authoritarian Concepts

A nationally representative online survey of 8,248 U.S. adults was fielded by Ipsos between May and June 2025. The study, led by emergency-medicine physician Garen Wintemute of the University of California, Davis, asked respondents about democratic values, support for a strong leader, and attitudes toward government use of force.

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Eighty-eight percent of participants rated the preservation of democracy as “very or extremely important,” and 61 % perceived democracy as under serious threat. Nonetheless, a notable minority expressed openness to authoritarian ideas, prompting scholars to warn of a social climate that could facilitate democratic backsliding.

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The research was conducted by Garen J. Wintemute, Andrew Crawford, Elizabeth A. Tomsich, Mona A. Wright, Aaron B. Shev, Daniel J. Tancredi, Julia P. Schleimer, Veronica A. Pear, and Sonia L. Robinson. Their stated goal was to map anti-democratic sentiments to inform public-safety strategies and community-leader interventions.

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• Strong-leader preference: 15 % strongly agreed that a strong leader outweighs democracy, an estimate of roughly 40 million adults.

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• Suspending Congress: 12 % endorsed temporarily suspending Congress for a strong leader to “clean up” Washington.

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• Domestic military use: 10 % fully supported deploying the military to enforce domestic policies.

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• Private militias: 4 % strongly favored using private armed groups for the same purpose.

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• Arresting dissent: 5-7 % agreed the government should arrest citizens or journalists who criticize it.

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• Personal violence: About 2 % expressed willingness to engage in physical violence for or against the federal government; a subgroup of MAGA supporters not identifying as Republicans reported 15-17 % willingness.

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Political affiliation shaped responses: 32 % of self-identified MAGA Republicans prioritized a strong leader, versus 7 % of “strong Democrats.” Younger adults (< 25) showed higher authoritarian endorsement than older cohorts.

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The findings suggest that while democratic commitment remains high, a sizable segment of the electorate holds views that could legitimize concentrated executive power and domestic coercion. Policymakers and civil-society actors may need to address these attitudes to prevent erosion of democratic norms and to mitigate potential political violence.

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Social scientists note that surveys on sensitive topics often suffer from social-desirability bias, potentially underestimating true willingness to endorse violence. The 2025 wave excluded adults aged 18-20, limiting insight into the newest voters whose attitudes appear shifting. Researchers acknowledge these constraints and call for longitudinal monitoring.

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The study provides a single-time-point snapshot; it does not capture trends over time. Additionally, the exclusion of the 18-20 age group creates a gap in understanding the full spectrum of youthful political attitudes.

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• “Having a strong leader for America is more important than having a democracy.” — Survey item

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• “The country should suspend Congress for a few years so a strong leader can clean up the mess made by politicians in Washington.” — Survey item

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• “The federal government should deploy the military to enforce domestic policies.” — Survey item

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• “The federal government should arrest people who publicly voice opposition, join demonstrations, or publish critical news stories.” — Survey item

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The authors intend to repeat the survey in subsequent years, expand the age range to include 18-20-year-olds, and refine question wording to reduce bias. Ongoing data collection aims to track shifts in authoritarian sentiment and to guide interventions that reinforce democratic stability.

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