From PBS NewsHour.

As President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address approaches, two-thirds of Americans say the system of checks and balances that divides power between the White House, Congress and the courts is not working well, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll.

When we asked this question in December 2024, about 66 percent of people said the U.S. system of checks and balances was working. Since then, the responses have almost completely flipped. The latest poll found 68% of Americans say it is not working. Thirty-two percent say it is.

The decline is also seen across the partisan spectrum, with Democrats and independents swinging 45 and 34 points respectively since then. There’s also been a 19 percentage point drop among Republicans.

Find more from the poll at maristpoll.marist.edu

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