BERKELEY — Black voters in California are sounding the strongest alarm about threats to American democracy, with three-quarters saying the nation’s democratic institutions are under attack, according to a new statewide poll.
The University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found 74% of Black registered voters believe American democracy is “under attack,” the highest percentage among all racial groups surveyed. Only 1% of Black respondents felt democracy is in “no danger,” the poll showed.
Latino voters registered 59% saying democracy is under attack, while Asian American and Pacific Islander voters also hit 59%. White voters came in at 69%.
“These results underscore the deep concerns that many California voters have about the state of American democracy,” Eric Schickler said. The co-director of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies added that seeing a majority of voters view U.S. democracy as under severe threat represents “something of a new ‘normal’ — itself a worrisome sign about how things have shifted.”
The survey of 6,474 California registered voters, conducted June 2-6, was funded by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
Across racial lines, California voters agree that special interest money wields too much influence in state politics. Black voters showed 71% agreement, Latino voters 66% and Asian American/Pacific Islander voters 69% that special interest money has excessive influence in Sacramento decision-making.
The concern transcended party lines, with 73% of Democrats, 81% of Republicans and 75% of independent voters agreeing that special interest money carries too much weight in California politics.
“The numbers don’t lie. Californians overwhelmingly recognize that big money wields far too much power over our elected officials,” Russia Chavis Cardenas said. The deputy director at California Common Cause noted that voters from every political party and racial background want Sacramento to break big money’s grip on democracy.
California voters expressed overwhelming distrust of tech companies and their leaders, with only 4% trusting them “a lot” to act in the public’s best interests. A striking 58% said they don’t trust tech companies “at all.” Business groups fared only slightly better, with 4% trusting them “a lot” and 46% not trusting them “at all.”
Community-based nonprofit organizations scored the highest trust ratings in the survey, with 27% of voters trusting them “a lot” and 35% trusting them “somewhat.” Trust in community nonprofits remained consistent across racial lines, with 67% of Black voters, 66% of Latino voters and 61% of Asian American/Pacific Islander voters expressing confidence in these organizations.
“With so much special interest money in California elections, everyday Californians question the motives of our elected leaders. But they know community-based organizations will always have their back,” Camila Chavez said. The executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation said community nonprofits have no motive beyond informing people, empowering voters and building inclusive democracy.
Labor unions retained significant trust among communities of color, with 61% of Black voters and 57% of Latino voters expressing trust compared to 47% of white voters. Lower-income Californians showed the highest trust in unions, with 62% of those earning under $20,000 annually expressing confidence in organized labor.
Governor Gavin Newsom received mixed evaluations, with 14% of voters trusting him “a lot” and 28% trusting him “somewhat” to act in California’s best interests. The state legislature scored similarly, with 11% trusting it “a lot” and 33% “somewhat.”
The survey has an estimated sampling error of about plus or minus 2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
