‘Democracy is definitely on the ballot and currently in trouble.’ Voter survey shows major concerns about our republic heading into midterms
James N. FitzhenryWe launched the Main Street Agenda over the Fourth of July with a simple question, “What do you want candidates to talk about as they compete for your vote this fall?”
The timing was fitting given that Independence Day is when we celebrate and reflect on our nation’s bold experiment in self-governance. To date, more than 1,900 people have completed the survey. There is still time to make your voice heard in the Main Street Agenda questionnaire (https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetagenda).
The No. 1 issue that concerns residents the most is the future of our democracy followed by climate change and gun policies. The concern about democracy was overwhelming, with 44% of survey respondents listing it as their No. 1 issue. No other issue came close. The survey is not a scientific poll, and its results cannot be generalized to the entire population of Wisconsin, but the responses do provide a snapshot and indicate that people are worried about the health of our Republic.
Consequently, that will be one of the topics at our upcoming town hall meeting in Milwaukee at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in Centennial Hall at the Milwaukee Public Library’s Central branch. The Main Street Agenda is a collaboration of Wisconsin Public Radio, the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison and the Ideas Lab. The event is free and open to the public; get tickets at https://tinyurl.com/milwaukeeagenda.
Concern over the future of democracy isn't unique to Wisconsin. News organizations across the nation today are sounding the alarm and raising awareness in a Democracy Day campaign. Listening and amplifying the voices of voters is a simple, but powerful way to support democracy.
We’re excited for the first of four town halls we’re holding across Wisconsin (including events in Pewaukee, Green Bay and Wausau) because it provides an opportunity to talk about issues Wisconsinites care most about that often are not reflected in TV ads, campaign events or even a lot of the election coverage in the news.
While it is unsettling to have so many worried about democracy itself, the hundreds of comments respondents left explaining their rankings are a far cry from the hopelessly polarized and combative stereotype of voters sometimes portrayed. Quite the contrary, it showed folks to be thoughtful, engaged and frustrated by the state of politics:
► “Democracy is definitely on the ballot and currently in trouble,” said a voter who identified himself as an Independent from Madison.
► “We've been choosing up sides about who cheated and how since the 2020 election. This burns time and energy to very little results. It takes away from addressing the economy and our cost of living. I am frustrated watching the circus surrounding elections and the economy. It is a circus: Bright lights, loud music and bombastic displays. But at the end of the day nothing is changing,” said a male Republican voter from Green Bay.
► “Our country is facing so many serious issues, yet I chose global climate change as the issue I am most concerned with. I chose it because I believe it truly is an existential threat to humanity worldwide. … I have three young grandchildren for whom I worry about the type of life they will inherit because of our lack of action,” said a Democrat from Hartford.
► “… our democracy — and perhaps more importantly, our civic fabric — is under sustained attack. We're not going to be able to make progress on any of these issues if we don't rediscover how to engage in civil discourse and dialogue across lines of difference — be they race/ethnicity, other forms of identity, or just political ideology. Whatever one's own set of beliefs, our friends and neighbors of different persuasions are by and large good and decent people trying to do right by each other, and we need to,” said a female Democrat from Mequon.
It is also interesting to note how party labels and issues don’t always neatly align on topics such as abortion rights and crime:
► "I’m deeply concerned about inflation and gas prices and taxes, but none of that matters if I don’t have ownership over my own body,” said a Republican woman from Waukesha.
► “I am a supporter of gun rights, but gun violence is out of control and needs to be curbed. Also, despite being against abortion, I feel it is a necessary evil in the world as forcing women who do not want babies (or who cannot care for them) will cause more problems than our society will care to help solve. Lastly, petty crime is also getting out of hand because of the lack of law enforcement, and there are many issues to resolve around that,” said a female Menomonee Falls voter.
► “I moved to (Milwaukee) recently and I'm scared to go to downtown MKE alone. I literally am so scared my car will be stolen or someone with rob me at gun point. I had to go to the courthouse, and I was terrified. I want to visit downtown MKE or Lake Michigan and not feel scared,” said a voter from Milwaukee who identified as a Democrat and ranked crime as her top concern.
MORE: Inflation is top of mind for Wisconsin voters as the midterm elections approach
We’re grateful so many of you took the time to share your thoughts. Let’s keep the conversation going. Please join us in person or catch the livestream of our town halls across Wisconsin.
Contact Jim Fitzhenry at (920) 993-7154 or jfitzhen@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JimFitzhenry, Instagram at @jimfitzhenry or LinkedIn.
Join our Town Hall Meetings
All of our town hall meetings will be livestreamed at the Journal Sentinel's Facebook page or our YouTube channel.
►7 p.m., Sept. 21, Centennial Hall, Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch, 733 N. 8th St., Milwaukee. Focus: Is democracy at risk? To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/milwaukeeagenda
►7 p.m., Oct. 6, Ingleside Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee. Focus: Inflation and the state of the U.S. economy. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/pewaukeeagenda
►7 p.m., Oct. 11, Brown County Public Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/greenbayagenda
►7 p.m., Nov. 1, UW Stevens Point–Wausau Campus: UW Center for Civic Engagement, 625 Stewart Ave, Wausau. To register, go to: https://tinyurl.com/wausauagenda