Republicans, Democrats and independents agree: Corruption is a huge problem

Issues such as inflation and affordability have been dominating the 2026 midterm election, but public corruption is joining them: The consensus is bipartisan and overwhelming, according to a poll released earlier this month by the Brennan Center for Justice.

Republicans, Democrats and independents said corruption was a big problem permeating every government institution. More than 90% of respondents in each group said that was true — as did 92% of all respondents.

The poll was conducted among 2,000 registered voters between April 28 and May 6.

Perhaps the biggest surprise among its findings is that there’s so much agreement in an era of partisan polarization. For example, 65% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 56% of Republican respondents agreed that corporate political contributions were a major cause of corruption.

Perhaps less surprising is that corruption is surging to the fore because voters see it as related to their other top concerns. 

Respondents were asked if they agreed that, “Corruption is responsible for policies that benefit billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the American people.” Eighty three percent of Republicans agreed, as did 90% of independents and 95% of Democrats.

Those and many other responses indicate that large bipartisan majorities believe that many things that are perfectly legal in the United States are nevertheless corrupt.

“As for what qualifies as corruption, voters across party lines are in agreement,” the Brennan Center said in a written statement. “They understand corruption broadly, centered in part on the perception that government primarily works for the ultrawealthy and well-connected and doesn’t prioritize the interests of most voters. The poll finds that while 97% of voters say that a government official using their office for personal gain is corrupt, almost as many (89%) say the same about billionaires and big corporations having an easier time being heard than the general public.”

The poll’s findings might be corroborated by actual elections.

In Festus, Mo., in April, voters cast out four incumbent city council members just after they voted to allow construction of a hyperscale data center. Residents and opposition candidates told Politico the backlash was powered by voters who felt like they didn’t have any say in the project.

In Georgia, incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, is trying to turn corruption — and its ties to economic pain — into a centerpiece of his campaign as he seeks reelection. 

“Voters link corruption directly to kitchen-table issues and the problems with government they experience daily,” the Brennan Center said. “Eighty-eight percent blame corruption for the persistence of today’s biggest problems that government has failed to solve, and 83% say corruption is responsible for public services not working properly.”

While respondents broadly agreed that corruption is a huge problem and that it’s rooted in government indifference to voters, there still were some stark partisan disparities.

For example, 97% of Democrats and 76% of independents agreed that President Donald Trump is corrupt. Just 34% of Republicans did.

But while there are such differences, huge, bipartisan majorities agree that much stricter regulations on how campaigns are financed are needed so that voters’ voices can be heard. 

“An overwhelming majority of voters across party lines support campaign finance reforms,” the Brennan Center said. “These include legislation to end “dark money,” or funds from groups that do not disclose their donors (85% overall, with 88% support among Democrats, 84% among independents, and 85% support among Republicans) and a constitutional amendment to overturn Supreme Court rulings that have struck down limits on money in elections (79% overall, including 84% support among Democrats, 81% support among independents, and 75% support among Republicans).”

It added that support for those measures extends across the country and through cities, towns and the countryside.

“Supermajorities in regions across the country support amending the Constitution to restore campaign finance limits, with backing from more than three-quarters of voters in the West (82%), South (78%), Northeast (81%), and Midwest (76%),” it said. “The same is true across the urban (81%), suburban (79%), and rural (76%) divide.”

This story is republished from the Ohio Capital Journal under a Creative Commons license. View the original article.