Is the system is still broken?

Ten years ago, Ipsos began measuring the ideas underlying the day’s emerging populist movements, such as the rise of then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump and the U.K.’s Brexit.

Ten years later, we’re still finding that the same forces that shaped politics in 2016 are shaping politics today.

A new Ipsos poll conducted across 31 countries finds that attitudes towards the broken nature of the “system,” distrust of elites, and nativist sentiment have been relatively steady over the past decade, and don’t seem like they’re going away.

Below are five charts on where populist sentiment stands across 31 countries.

1. Broken and even more broken. A defining feature of the recent wave of populism has been a belief that the “system” is broken. That belief remains strong today, with majorities across 31 countries feeling their country is in decline and that the society in their country is broken.
2. Systematic distrust is high. Across the 31 countries polled, majorities feel their country’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful, and feel their country needs a strong leader to “take the country back.”
3. Distrust of elites. Not everyone believes elites make decisions solely out of self-interest. Though a majority say that elites make decisions based on their own interests, some still believe that elites make decisions in the best interest of most people. Whatever the case, few feel that the decisions that elites make end up benefitting the people.
4. Nativism trend. Nativism has increasingly been a feature of today’s populist movements. In the U.S., nativist sentiment has been a source of division between Republicans and Democrats, but this divide is not exclusive to America.
5. In the U.S., the election changes the tides. Before the election, broken-system sentiment was more pronounced among U.S. Republicans and less so among Democrats. This swapped right after the election. Watch this space.

Populism is a trend across the globe, not just in the U.S. Underlying this sentiment is the belief that the system is broken, that the economy is rigged, that traditional politicians and parties don’t care about the average person, and that change is needed. Understanding the broken-system sentiment that undergird populist movements is critical in understanding the New America.

In 2016, people across the globe yearned for change. Ten years later, that appetite has not been satiated. How will this manifest in the future? In the U.S., broken-system sentiment is surging among Democrats and easing among Republicans after the 2024 election. Will this broken system sentiment manifest itself in the 2026 midterm elections or the 2028 presidential election? We will see.