Fear for American democracy grows: media

The Capitol Hill is seen after heavy rain in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

While the worry is higher among Democrats than Republicans in polls, the trend is not limited to blue states.

NEW YORK, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- For many decades, the United States has held itself up as the defender of democracies around the world, but according to a wide array of polling, it is now the fate of America's own democracy that has voters worried, reported the U.S. News &World Report on Wednesday.

Inflation continues to be the top issue cited by voters as they consider their voices in next month's midterm elections, but the threat to democracy is now running second - ahead of abortion rights, crime, immigration and other issues candidates in both parties are repeating in their ad campaigns, according to the report.

"While the worry is higher among Democrats than Republicans in polls, the trend is not limited to blue states," noted the report.

In a poll of Texas voters released on Wednesday by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, concerns about the threat to democracy ranked second among Lone Star State respondents, with 21 percent citing it as a top concern.

In addition, a Quinnipiac College poll in August found that 67 percent of the public believes the nation's democracy is at risk of collapse, while 29 percent disagree, it added.