Slim Majority Doubt U.S. Leaders Are Held Accountable to Laws

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Concerns about accountability, equal treatment under the law, and balance of power suggest that skepticism about democracy is partially rooted not only in political disagreements but also in doubts about whether democratic guardrails are functioning as intended. Many Americans, especially those with more negative evaluations of democratic functioning, feel that it is their duty to speak up.

These results are from the latest Democracy for All Project survey, a joint study conducted April 24-May 21 by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup that tracks Americans' experiences with democracy each year.

More Americans Now Doubt That U.S. Leaders Will Be Held Accountable

A majority of U.S. adults (53%) now say they do not trust that political leaders will be held accountable to the nation’s laws and Constitution, up from 48% in 2025. Fewer than three in 10 Americans (28%) are confident that such accountability exists, down slightly from 32% last year. A relatively steady 18% neither agree nor disagree.

Republicans remain the most likely political group to agree that they trust in political leaders’ accountability, but the percentage doing so has fallen eight percentage points, from 47% to 39%. That decline reflects a shift toward distrust rather than uncertainty, as the share of Republicans who disagree has increased from 32% to 40% while the percentage who neither agree nor disagree remains unchanged at 20%.

Independents have also grown more skeptical, with the share expressing distrust increasing from 55% to 60%, whereas Democrats’ perceptions have remained stable year over year.

One in Five Endorse Exceptions for Leaders’ Following the Law

When given a choice between the two, most Americans (78%) say that leaders should follow the law, without exception, but 20% do endorse leaders acting outside the law sometimes “to do what is needed for the country.”

Adults aged 18 to 29 are more likely than other subgroups/age groups to say officials should sometimes be allowed exceptions to the law (27%), compared with 21% of those aged 30 to 49 and 17% of adults aged 50 and older.

There are also modest party differences, with 26% of Republicans saying government officials should sometimes be allowed such exceptions, compared with 19% of independents and 17% of Democrats.

Many Americans Question Whether Division of Government Power Working

Accountability in a democracy depends not only on laws being followed but also on a system of checks and balances that distributes power across branches of the federal government, preventing any one from dominating. A slim majority of U.S. adults (51%) now rate the division of power among the federal judicial, legislative and executive branches as working moderately (26%) or very (25%) poorly, up from 47% in 2025. By comparison, 20% say it is working moderately (14%) or very (6%) well, essentially unchanged from 21% a year ago. Another 29% say it is working “OK.”

Both Republicans and independents are slightly more likely this year to rate the division of power among the federal government branches as working poorly. Democrats’ views are essentially unchanged, and they remain the most critical overall.

Concerns about checks and balances appear to be tied most to the executive branch, as a majority of U.S. adults (59%) believe the executive branch has too much power, compared with 38% who say the Supreme Court and judicial branch have too much power and 34% who say the same about Congress and the legislative branch.

Democrats (82%) and independents (64%) are far more likely than Republicans (25%) to say the presidency and executive branch have too much power, while most Republicans (63%) believe the executive branch has the right amount of power. Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say the Supreme Court has too much power (48% vs. 26%, respectively).

By contrast, views of Congress are less polarized, though Democrats are notably more likely than Republicans to say the legislative branch has too little power (30% vs. 7%).

Americans Express Doubts About Equal Treatment Under the Law

Americans' doubts about leaders' accountability are accompanied by broader concerns about fairness in the application of the law. Currently, 60% of U.S. adults say equal treatment under the law is working moderately or very poorly, up from 55% in 2025. At the same time, the percentage who believe it is working moderately or very well has fallen from 22% to 18%.

Perceptions of poor performance have increased more among Republicans (from 35% to 40%) and independents (from 61% to 65%) than among Democrats (from 70% to 72%).

Americans Favor Speaking Up Over Respecting Authority

At a time when many Americans are skeptical that leaders will be held accountable, rate equal treatment under the law poorly, and say the executive branch holds too much power, 68% of U.S. adults say speaking up against injustice is a more important citizen responsibility than respecting authority (30%).

Those who hold negative views of political accountability, equal treatment under the law, or the division of power among the branches of government are especially likely to say speaking up against injustice is the more important civic responsibility. The same is true among those who believe the executive branch currently holds too much power.

Implications

Concerns about whether leaders are held accountable, laws are applied fairly, and power is appropriately distributed across the government point to questions about the effectiveness of the systems and processes designed to safeguard U.S. democracy. Among those who express such concerns, large majorities believe citizens should speak up against injustice rather than defer to authority.

Large majorities believe government officials should always follow the law without exception, reflecting broad support for lawful leadership and accountability. Yet one in five Americans believe officials should sometimes be allowed to make exceptions to the law in order to do what is needed for the country.

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, debates about accountability, oversight and the proper exercise of government power are likely to unfold in an environment where many Americans already express concerns about these issues.

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Editorial Note: The views and opinions expressed here are made independent of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and without the foundation’s warranty of accuracy, authenticity or completeness. Such statements do not reflect the views and opinions of the foundation, which hereby disclaims liability to any party for direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages that may arise in connection with statements made during association with the foundation or independently.