A growing body of research suggests that a decline in a president's popularity may actually strengthen, rather than weaken, democratic institutions. This counterintuitive finding has significant implications for how we understand the relationship between presidential approval ratings and the health of democracy. As the president's favorability ratings continue to plummet, many are warning of an impending crisis for democratic governance. But experts argue that in many cases, a low-approval president can actually serve as a check on their own power, preventing any one individual from consolidating too much authority.
As the president's favorability sinks, the danger to democracy rises — not the other way around
