According to a new University of Michigan report, Michigan local leaders are far less praiseworthy about the national picture, while they are generally optimistic about how democracy functions in their jurisdictions. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents a “total breakdown of democracy” and 10 represents “a perfectly functioning democracy,” 84% of local leaders rate the functioning of democracy in their community at seven or higher. Researchers explore additional findings and implications.
