Trust in democracy plummets: Half of Americans say election was stolen
49.8% of Americans believe significant voter fraud changed the outcome of the 2020 federal election, despite this conspiracy theory being debunked
PHILADELPHIA – Dec. 6, 2023 – New research from The School of Thought International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to critical thinking, reveals that misinformation and a lack of trust in the democratic process pose significant threats to the upcoming 2024 Federal election.
The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Propeller Insights on behalf of The School of Thought, shows that trust in the integrity of the electoral system is very low, with 69.1% saying they believe it is vulnerable to manipulation and fraud.
An overwhelming majority (84%) of Americans are concerned about the impact of misinformation, with 78% saying it is an existential threat to society. Ninety percent report encountering information in the media or online that they suspected may be false or misleading. Most respondents (61%) fear AI will increase both the quality and quantity of misinformation.
The survey shows a strong majority support the development of media literacy and critical thinking skills, with most Americans (67.9%) urging governments and institutions to invest in initiatives that address these problems. However, around half of respondents also believe in debunked conspiracy theories, such as that the 2020 U.S. federal election was stolen due to widespread fraud (49.8%). This belief was highest among millennials (66.9%) and lowest among baby boomers (35.1%).
65% of respondents in red states say they do not trust the government, compared to 51.2% in blue states. 70% of women believe the voter system is more vulnerable to manipulation and fraud, versus 32% of males.
Most (73%) are confident of their own ability to spot misinformation but are much less confident of others' ability to do so (38%).
The Critical Thinking Alliance, a new evidence-based initiative to counteract misinformation, combines the efforts of leading academics and organizations, including Snopes.com and Sander van der Linden, Cambridge University professor and author of the best-selling book “Foolproof - Why misinformation infects our minds and how to build immunity.”
Professor van der Linden's research shows that preemptive exposure to the techniques of misinformation and disinformation can have a protective 'inoculation' effect. The Critical Thinking Alliance invites other organizations, as well as the general public, to join the fight against misinformation with evidence-based approaches at criticalthinkingalliance.org
"Many are concerned about misinformation and disinformation but don't know what to do about it. We're advocating for governments, organizations, and people around the world to join us in taking an evidence-based approach to address this problem and work together to mitigate its effects," said Professor van der Linden.
Director of The School of Thought David McRaney, in his book, “'How Minds Change - the surprising science of belief, opinion, and persuasion,” presents surprisingly optimistic scientific evidence showing that people are willing to change their minds under the right conditions.
"There is a pervasive sense of hopelessness in the current cultural climate; however, research shows people are far more capable of changing their minds and coming to a shared understanding than is commonly believed," said McRaney.
Founder and CEO of The School of Thought Jesse Richardson added, "We can't expect the problems of misinformation and conspiracy thinking to be solved by someone else – it's up to all of us to contribute to this effort. Indeed, our shared future may depend on it.”
About The School of Thought
The School of Thought International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting critical thinking. Its free resources, published under Creative Commons licenses, have reached over 30 million people in seven languages and are used in thousands of schools and universities worldwide. The Critical Thinking Alliance is an initiative of the School of Thought and provides a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to mitigating the effects of misinformation and disinformation. A full list of partner organizations and resources is available via https://criticalthinkingalliance.org
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