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People march toward the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on July 22 (local time). / Reuters Yonhap News

A local survey revealed that while American voters predominantly judge the Republican Party superior to the Democratic Party in handling crime and national security, more respondents indicated they would select Democratic candidates if House elections were held immediately.

According to a survey released by Fox News on July 22 (local time), respondents rated the Republican Party 7 percentage points higher than the Democratic Party on crime response and 2 percentage points higher on national security. However, voting enthusiasm stood 11 percentage points higher among Democratic supporters (68 percent) than Republican supporters (57 percent).

Regarding the House elections, when asked, "If the election were held today, whom would you support?", 53 percent of respondents selected Democratic candidates, while 46 percent chose Republican candidates. This places the Democratic Party ahead by 7 percentage points, widening the gap from an April survey where the Democrats held a 5 percentage point lead.

Dissatisfaction with the economy remained elevated. Seventy-five percent of respondents stated that inflation has caused financial hardship, with 34 percent reporting severe hardship—an increase from last year's 26 percent. Respondents expecting the economy to deteriorate further next year reached 54 percent.

Distrust toward the political establishment was also pronounced. Seventy percent of respondents felt the Republican Party is closely tied to the interests of elites, while 55 percent held the same view regarding the Democratic Party. Sixty-five percent viewed the national system as working in favor of the wealthy, up 9 percentage points from 2019.

Voices calling for change were prominent as well. Nineteen percent of respondents desired revolutionary change, 38 percent sought substantial change, and 23 percent wanted dramatic change. In particular, Democratic supporters (52 percent) expressed a desire for dramatic change at nearly double the rate of Republican supporters (28 percent).

Distrust of Congress deepened overall. Seventy percent of respondents expressed distrust toward both the Democratic and Republican parties, and 85 percent supported mandatory age limits for members of Congress. Among those favoring age limits, 80 percent believed the threshold should be under 75 years old, with 61 percent selecting between 65 and 74 years as the appropriate standard.

Perceptions of capitalism and socialism also shifted. Respondents holding a favorable view of capitalism stood at 50 percent, down from a peak of 57 percent in 2019. Favorability toward socialism reached 30 percent, rising from last year's 27 percent, though remaining below the 32 percent recorded in 2021.

In favorability ratings for political figures, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders scored the highest at 45 percent. Vice President J.D. Vance followed at 41 percent, President Donald Trump at 38 percent, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 35 percent.

Meanwhile, the survey was jointly conducted from July 17 to 20 by Democratic-leaning survey firm Beacon Research and Republican-leaning firm Shaw & Company Research, polling 1,003 registered voters via landline, cell phone, text message, and online questionnaires. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

                                                                                                            Park Jin-sook