Nearly 8 in 10 Americans believe that there is a two-tiered system of justice in the United States, according to a new poll.
The “National Issues Survey” of more than 1,000 likely 2022 general election voters, conducted between July 24-28 by the Trafalgar Group in partnership with Convention of States Action, found that 79.3% of Americans believe that the United States has a two-tiered justice system, with one set of laws for political insiders and another for average Americans. Notably, large majorities in both parties agreed with the idea.
The survey asked respondents: “What is your opinion of the current state of the American justice system?” Nearly 8 in 10 Americans, 79.3%, responded that “[t]here are two tiers of justice in the American justice system: one set of laws for politicians and Washington D.C. insiders vs. one set of laws for everyday Americans.” Just 11.6% of respondents answered that “there is one system of justice with laws applied to all Americans equally.” Another 9.1% of American were unsure.
Breaking the results down by party, the survey found that strong majorities of both parties, and independents, believed in a two-tiered justice system.
Fully two-thirds of Democrats, 66.7%, said they believed the United States has a two-tiered system of justice; just 17.5% of respondents said they thought there was just one justice system applied equally to all Americans; 9% were not sure. Nearly 9 out of 10 Republicans, 87.8%, said the U.S. has a two-tiered justice system; just 6.9% said there was one justice system applied equally; 5.3% were not sure. Among those who had no party affiliation, more than three quarters, 77.2%, said there was a two-tiered justice system in America; 13.8% said there was one justice system applied equally; 9% were unsure.
“What we’re seeing reflected strongly in these numbers is the sentiment that ‘There is no equal justice in America’ has become an almost universally-held opinion,” Convention of States President Mark Meckler said in a statement responding to the survey. “But it’s not just opinion, it’s fact. And it’s a dangerous fact in our Constitutional Republic, one which requires mostly voluntary compliance with the rule of law to succeed. In a system where those in government get away with virtually anything, why should anyone follow the law? Until public servants are once again held accountable for their misdeeds, the distrust of and disdain for government officials will continue to grow in a dangerous manner. Perhaps early Americans had the right idea when they publicly tarred and feathered officials who abused their positions. Fear of getting caught and being held accountable is a necessary component for a successful system of public service.”
The survey comes just one day after the FBI conducted a raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The raid prompted backlash from Republicans in Congress, who cited it as evidence of the two-tiered system of justice in America.
“Our two-tiered justice system is becoming more obvious and outrageous,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) told Fox News in an interview Tuesday.
“We know for a FACT that Hunter Biden committed a crime by lying about his drug addiction while filing paperwork to purchase a firearm,” Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC) tweeted Monday in response to news of the raid. “Is he in jail? No. Has there been a special counsel formed to investigate him? No. Why? Two-tiered justice system.”