Rhode Island Democrats and Republicans are living in vastly different realities when it comes to their perceptions of American democracy and the economy, according to a new survey released today by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University.
The June 2025 survey of 804 registered Rhode Island voters who participated in the 2024 presidential election reveals dramatic partisan splits on fundamental questions about the health of American democracy and the state of the nation.
Democracy Perceptions Split Along Party Lines
The most striking finding centers on views of democratic health. While 80% of Democrats say U.S. democracy is not healthy and 94% believe the country faces a constitutional crisis, Republicans have become significantly more optimistic since Trump’s inauguration. They are now seven times more likely to view democracy as healthy compared to June 2024, with 83% saying Trump administration policies have helped them personally.
“The survey results suggest deep divisions between the Democratic and Republican party – not only on top issues but on major questions around the health of our democracy,” said Katie Sonder, the Pell Center’s Associate Director who directed the survey. “It’s as if we are living in parallel realities.”
Democrats also perceive a decline in checks and balances, with only 32% agreeing the system is strong, while 64% believe the country has fallen into dictatorship.
Economic Views Mirror Political Divide
The partisan split extends to economic perceptions. Three-quarters of Republicans (76%) believe the economy is thriving, while nearly the same percentage of Democrats (73%) believe the country is in a recession. Despite this disagreement, only 17% of all respondents chose the economy as one of the top three most important national issues.
Top Issues Reflect Party Priorities
Republicans prioritize immigration (58% citing it as a top issue), while Democrats focus on “Trump and the Republicans” (66%) and “the state of democracy” (36%). Independents, who represent the majority of Rhode Island’s registered voters, are more evenly divided across issues including Trump/Republicans (28%), inflation (34%), immigration (34%), and polarization (28%).
Immigration and Military Deployment
Reflecting their concern about immigration, 91% of Republicans support the Trump administration’s decision to deploy U.S. military troops in response to protests over federal immigration enforcement. Nearly all Republicans (93%) want increased federal spending on border and immigration enforcement.
Bipartisan Agreement on Social Programs
Despite major disagreements, there’s broad support across parties for increased federal spending on Medicare and Social Security. Enhanced Social Security funding is popular among 82% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans, and 70% of Independents.
Rhode Island Political Landscape
In state politics, job approval ratings dropped for three of Rhode Island’s four Congressional representatives between June 2024 and 2025. Representative Gabe Amo saw a modest 2-percentage-point increase in net approval (+11), while Senator Jack Reed maintains the highest net approval rating (+12). Governor Dan McKee’s approval rating fell significantly from 36% to 25%.
Rhode Islanders remain skeptical about the Washington Bridge rebuild project, with nearly 60% saying it’s not likely to finish on time and on budget by the projected November 2028 completion date.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted by Embold Research between June 16-22, 2025, with a modeled margin of error of 3.6%. It represents the fourth installment of the Pell Center’s “Voices of Value” project, which tracks political polarization, media consumption habits, and support for political actors.
Sonder noted particular interest in how Independent voters will shape Rhode Island politics, given they represent the majority of registered voters and hold varying political opinions that lean both left and right.
The survey reinforces concerns about increasing political polarization, with 83% of Rhode Islanders agreeing that political division has increased over the past year.