A new poll conducted by SSRS reveals that the Democratic Party’s favorability among Americans has dropped to a historic low, driven in part by growing dissatisfaction among its own supporters.

Many Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents believe party leaders should take a stronger stance against former President Donald Trump. The survey shows that 57% favor prioritizing opposition to the Republican agenda over bipartisan cooperation, a shift from previous years when collaboration was preferred.

The poll, conducted from March 6-9, comes just before ten Democratic senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, voted alongside Republicans to advance a GOP-led spending bill—an action that disappointed many progressive lawmakers and activists.

This marks a significant transformation in Democratic attitudes. In 2017, 74% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters supported working with Republicans, whereas only 23% endorsed a more confrontational approach.

The poll also finds growing discontent with Democratic leadership. Currently, 52% of Democratic-aligned respondents believe the party is heading in the wrong direction, a notable shift from eight years ago when opinions were largely positive.

Among the general public, the Democratic Party’s approval rating stands at just 29%, the lowest recorded by CNN since 1992. This reflects a 20-point decline since January 2021, when Trump left office following the January 6 Capitol riot. Meanwhile, the Republican Party's favorability rating is at 36%.

Discontent within the Democratic Party is evident, with only 63% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressing a favorable view of their own party—a drop from 72% in January and 81% at the start of President Joe Biden’s administration. This decline spans ideological groups, with favorability among both liberals and moderates decreasing by 18 points since 2021.

In contrast, 79% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents hold a positive view of the GOP. Political independents remain critical of both parties, with only 19% approving of the Democrats and 20% of the Republicans.

Perceptions of extremism have also shifted. About half of Americans now view both parties as having policies that are too extreme. In 2022, a majority (56%) considered the Democratic Party’s stance mainstream, but this perception has since eroded.

Political independents are more likely to see the Republican Party as too extreme (57%) compared to the Democrats (48%). Notably, 16% of Democrats consider their own party too extreme, while only 9% of Republicans say the same about the GOP.

The survey highlights the Democratic Party's leadership challenges. When asked to name a leader who best represents Democratic values, respondents were divided: 10% named Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 9% former Vice President Kamala Harris, 8% Sen. Bernie Sanders, and 6% House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Former President Barack Obama and Rep. Jasmine Crockett each received 4%, while Schumer and others trailed at 2%. More than 30% of respondents did not name any leader, with one commenting, “That’s the problem.”

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who recently delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s address, remains largely unknown, with nearly three-quarters of Americans either unfamiliar with her or having no opinion. Even within the Democratic Party, awareness of Slotkin is low.

Ocasio-Cortez is particularly favored among younger and more liberal Democrats, with about one in six in these groups viewing her as representative of party values. However, no Democratic leader received double-digit support among older voters or moderates.

Democratic views on their party and leadership vary by demographic. Self-identified Democrats are more likely than Democratic-leaning independents to have a favorable view of the party (72% vs. 37%) and to believe it is on the right path (53% vs. 34%).

Among Democratic-aligned groups, women (57%), people of color (57%), and non-college graduates (60%) are more likely to approve of party leadership, while only 38% of men and 32% of White college graduates share this view.

Despite internal differences, a majority of Democratic-aligned voters support opposing the Republican agenda rather than seeking compromise. The only group favoring bipartisan cooperation are moderates, who are split 51%-48% in favor of working with Republicans.

poll was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,206 U.S. adults through online and telephone interviews. The margin of error for the full sample is ±3.3 percentage points, while for the 504 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, it is ±5.0 percentage points.