Reading the nonstop coverage of what may well be a close presidential election, one might be forgiven for thinking that political competition is alive and well in America. But look at the majority of states and congressional races, and a different picture emerges: In most places, meaningful two-party electoral competition […] Read more »
Americans’ Trust in Political Leaders, Public at New Lows
Americans’ trust in their political leaders and in the American people themselves to make political decisions continues to decline. The percentages trusting the American people (56%) and political leaders (42%) are down roughly 20 percentage points since 2004 and are currently at new lows in Gallup’s trends. CONT. Jeffrey M. […] Read more »
Americans Continue to Want Political Leaders to Compromise
A majority of Americans continue to believe that political leaders in Washington should compromise in order to get things done, while less than half as many say leaders should stick to their beliefs even if little gets done. These attitudes are particularly relevant to the current situation in Washington, where […] Read more »
Americans’ Confidence in Government Takes Positive Turn
Americans express as much or slightly more confidence in each of the three branches of the federal government than they did in 2014 and 2015, when their confidence fell to record or near-record lows. CONT. Lydia Saad, Gallup Read more »
Economy Remains Top Problem in U.S. as Debate Nears
With the first presidential debate approaching, no one issue clearly dominates Americans’ minds when they are asked to name the most important problem facing the U.S. The economy (14%) continues to lead the list, followed closely by dissatisfaction with government (11%) and jobs and unemployment (11%) as the top problem […] Read more »
Pessimistic or Optimistic? Election-Wise, It Matters
Two-thirds of Americans feel they have little or no influence over the actions of the federal government. Forty-five percent say the country’s greatness is ebbing. As many see voter fraud as commonplace. A third aren’t confident that votes in the presidential election will be counted fairly. And a third say […] Read more »