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Home Research Topics Politics & Policy Political Parties & Polarization Political Polarization
Pew Research CenterSeptember 15, 2023
7. Candidate quality and what drives elected officials to run for office

Democrats and Republicans both skeptical that all or most elected officials ran for office to serve the public

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Democrats and Republicans both skeptical that all or most elected officials ran for office to serve the public

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7. Candidate quality and what drives elected officials to run for office
Over half of Americans say that all or most elected officials ran for office to make a lot of money
Democrats and Republicans both skeptical that all or most elected officials ran for office to serve the public
In both parties, evaluations of candidate quality have grown more negative
Widespread views that the quality of candidates running for office in recent years has been bad
People who don’t feel well-represented by one of the parties are especially likely to say the quality of recent candidates for office has been bad
Older Americans more likely than younger adults to say at least one candidate usually shares their views
Most Americans who don’t feel well-represented by the two major parties say there usually aren’t candidates who share their views
Most Americans say it is important candidates share their views on issues; other factors less important

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