Americans stand out internationally for their pessimism about the nation’s political system

People in higher-income countries are generally less likely to say their nation’s political system needs major changes or complete reform. Americans are an exception.

People in higher-income countries are generally more likely to say their nation’s political system needs only minor or no changes, according to recent Pew Research Center surveys. Conversely, people in middle-income countries are more likely to say their political system needs major changes or complete reform.

The United States, however, is a notable exception to this pattern. Despite having the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of any of our surveyed countries, 77% of Americans say the nation’s political system needs major changes or complete reform.