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The State of Democracy: Insights from a cross-national KnowledgePanel study

Femke De Keulenaer (Ipsos) - Belgium
Joke Depraetere (Ipsos) - Belgium
Cristina Tudose (Ipsos) - France

Keywords: cross-national research, public opinion on democracy, probability-based panels


Abstract

This presentation unveils key findings from an Ipsos KnowledgePanel survey spanning seven countries, examining public opinion on democracy amidst the turbulent political landscape of 2024. The research delves into citizens' perspectives on democratic governance in Croatia, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, the UK and the US. The study reveals how citizens in these diverse nations view the efficacy and fairness of their democratic system, and how this perception influences their political attitudes. By analysing public opinion across diverse political contexts, this research provides a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing democratic systems in a year marked by significant elections and global tensions.
The presentation will primarily focus on the multi-country findings from the survey, highlighting key differences and similarities in attitudes towards democracy across the seven countries. Furthermore, the presentation will offer insights into the methodology used, discussing the benefits and limitations of online probability-based panels, such as the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, for studying subjects like democracy. The discussion will also address the challenges of ensuring data quality and mitigating potential biases when exploring complex topics online.