A survey of U.S. adults found a majority consider democracy and the rule of law in the country under threat.
Sixty-six percent of respondents to the CBS News poll released Sunday said democracy was either somewhat or very threatened, with 33% saying democracy is secure.
The poll comes days ahead of the anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol last year during which supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the site as lawmakers inside were meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s election win.
Among poll respondents, 83% said they disapprove of the people who forced their way into the Capitol.
Majorities categorized the actions of those involved as an insurrection, an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government, trying to overturn the election to keep Trump in power, and also as a protest that went too far.
As the country prepares for midterm congressional elections this year, 68% said they viewed the January 6 attack as a sign of increasing political violence in the country. With the next presidential vote in 2024, 62% of respondents said they expect violence from the losing side.
Two-thirds of respondents said they consider Biden the legitimate winner of the 2020 election, about the same number as in a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released Saturday.
The Post poll also included 45% of respondents saying Trump had a great deal of responsibility for the attack, while 28% said not at all.
It also included a long-term uptick in the number of people who said it is sometimes justified for citizens to take violent action against the government. The latest poll had 34% of respondents saying yes, up from 23% in 2015 and 13% in 1995.
