Americans still see the Republican Party as more competent in safeguarding the nation and ensuring its prosperity, though this perception has waned compared to last year, according to a Gallup survey released on Tuesday.

The survey reveals that 48% of Americans believe the GOP is better suited to protect the country, while 41% place their trust in the Democrats for the same role. This marks a decline from previous years, where the GOP held a stronger lead of 57% in 2022 and 2023, which then slightly dropped to 54% in 2024.

Public opinion about Republicans’ ability to maintain national prosperity has also shifted. In a Gallup poll from September 2024, 50% of respondents believed Republicans were more effective at fostering prosperity. However, this percentage has decreased to 43% over the past year, with 47% now favoring Democrats as the better stewards of the country’s economic health.

When it comes to addressing the nation’s most critical issues, Democrats hold a narrow advantage, with 40% of respondents expressing confidence in them, compared to 38% for Republicans. This slim lead for Democrats is a notable change from the three-to-11-point leads Republicans enjoyed during Biden’s presidency, as noted by the pollsters.

Despite these perceptions, both political parties face low overall favorability ratings, with 40% of people viewing Republicans favorably and 37% expressing a favorable opinion of Democrats.

“Yet, while Republicans have lost ground this year on the key issues of maintaining prosperity and national security, Democrats have seen no corresponding gains,” the pollsters stated. “Relatedly, Americans remain broadly dissatisfied with both major parties, with neither viewed favorably by even half of the public.”

Gallup’s survey, compared with other polls, showed heavy unpopularity toward both parties and President Trump. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 50 percent of respondents blame congressional Republicans over the government shutdown, while 47 percent blame Democrats. The same poll showed President Trump receiving a slight uptick in approval at 42 percent, compared to 40 percent last month.

The Gallup survey was conducted Sept. 2 to 16 and included 1,000 respondents. The margin of error is four percentage points.