WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Reuters) – Most Americans believe that efforts to maximize partisan interests to redraw US Congressional districts are bad for democracy, as are ongoing in Texas and California.
More than half (57%) of respondents feared that American democracy itself was at risk, and feared the view that President Donald Trump’s Republican Party holds eight in 10 and four in 10.
A six-day survey of 4,446 US adults, closed Monday, showed an increase and deep anxiety in Washington’s political sector, where Republicans control both Congressional rooms and the state’s capital.
Polls found that 55% of respondents, including 71% of Democrats and 46% of Republicans, agreed that the ongoing constituency change plans were “bad for democracy,” including plans hatched by the governors of Texas and California in a process known as gerrymandering.
In a urge from Trump, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called for a special state legislative meeting to redraw the map of the state legislative as early as the 2026 medium-term elections, aiming to help Republicans protect the majority of 219-212 US House.
The incumbent president’s parties usually lose their mid-term home seats, which could block their legislative agenda, leading to two perch probes in Trump’s first term.
In 2028, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, the White House, threatened to redraw the state’s district map accordingly, adding five Democratic seats to offset the expected interests of Republicans.
This practice is not new, but it is attracting attention as it takes place along the way rather than following the census. That means that most house races are not competitive in general elections. Over the past few decades, about two-thirds of them have won more than 20% points.
As president, Trump fled with democratic norms, including directing the US Department of Justice to pursue his political opponents, pressure the independent Federal Reserve to lower fees, and seizing control of police in Washington, D.C.
In the interview, Texan Republicans who participated in the polls were primarily supportive of the state’s potential constituency, which Democrats described as “fraud,” but supported the idea that Democrats would try to respond in kind.
The polls found that there was about 2% point error in explaining the views of all Americans, and about 3 points for views of Republicans and Democrats.
“Suspicious business”
Dallas insurance fraud investigator Amanda Kelly, 51, was a rare Republican who criticized Texas’ efforts.
“When either side tries to do that, I don’t like it. I think it’s a shady business,” Kelly said. “The optics of it happen when you finish when you draw the district lines, which leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.”
Dallas lawyer Paul Waleman, 57, also opposed the fact that he was an independent voter.
“It’s unfair and sets a bad precedent,” Waleman said. “Everything’s wrong, but I think it’s fair that Democrats try to offset what Republicans are doing,” Partizan Gerrimandering said.
“They need to stop bringing knives to the shootout.”
Americans in both parties have long disliked elected leaders of rival parties, but Reuters/Ipsos polls found that ordinary people alongside the opposition also have distrust.
About 55% of Democrats agreed to a statement that “people who are Republicans should not be trusted,” but 32% disagreed. Republicans are split, with 43% agreeing that Democrats can’t be trusted, and 44% say they disagree.
Polls also show politics that place more emphasis on people’s daily lives than they have in the past few years, especially among Democrats. About 27% of Democrats said last year’s presidential election had a negative impact on their friendship.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll in April 2017 reported that early Trump’s first term was a small percentage of Democrats (18%), fighting for friendships for elections. This month, only 10% of Republicans said politics, which has been largely unchanged since 2017, put emphasis on friendship.
Jeffrey Larson, a 64-year-old toxicologist and Republican voter from Seabrook, Texas, said he and his wife, Democrat, agreed not to discuss politics.
“I may not agree with what Democrats are doing, but I don’t think they’re trying to specifically destroy my life or destroy America,” Larson said.
Nearly half of Democrats (46%) said the party has lost their way, compared to 19% of Republicans who said the same thing as the party.
Sandiogden, 71, a high-tech executive and self-proclaimed Democrat from Sunnyvale, California, said she denounced the party’s leader.
“I think Democrats are united in what we believe in, but leaders have no effect in increasing the opposition to work,” Ogden said.
Analysts said the greater distrust of ordinary Democrats with Republicans and friction with friends suggests they are unwilling to engage with Republicans who could harm the party’s chances of regaining their political status.
“Democracy includes the willingness to allow people with different views to express those views,” said Whit Ayers, a veteran Republican poller.
Longtime democratic operative Michael Ceraso found poll results frustrating.
“The majority of Democrats believe our democracy is failing and almost half of them don’t want to talk to the opposition,” Ceraso said. “We need to get better.”
(Reporting by Jason Lange, Nolan D. McCaskill, James Oliphant, Editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman)
