For years, public trust in the federal government has hovered at near-record lows. That remains the case today, as the United States struggles with a pandemic and economic recession. Just 20% of U.S. adults say they trust the government in Washington to “do the right thing” just about always or […] Read more »
Why Trump’s alleged comments about soldiers brought so much outrage
Last week, a widely reported article in the Atlantic said President Trump disparaged fallen service members as he wondered why he should visit a military cemetery “filled with losers” and calling more than 1,800 fallen Marines “suckers” for being killed. … Some Americans were especially outraged by Trump’s alleged remarks […] Read more »
The U.S. shows all the signs of a country spiraling toward political violence
… Political violence in democracies often seems spontaneous: an angry mob launching a pogrom, a lone shooter assassinating a president. But in fact, the crisis has usually been building for years, and the risk factors are well known. The United States is now walking the last steps on that path. […] Read more »
Farming Rises, Sports Tumbles in Industry Ratings
For the first time in Gallup’s 20 years of tracking Americans’ views of various business and industry sectors, farming and agriculture is the clear leader. The former top-ranking industries — restaurants and computers — remain in the top four, with the grocery industry rounding out the group. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical […] Read more »
In Views of U.S. Democracy, Widening Partisan Divides Over Freedom to Peacefully Protest
In assessing the state of U.S. democracy, Americans continue to give their country negative ratings for living up to several key democratic ideals and principles. And in some cases, these assessments have turned less positive since 2018. Notably, the share of Americans who say the phrase “people are free to […] Read more »
Ethnic antagonism erodes Republicans’ commitment to democracy
Growing partisan polarization and democratic “backsliding” in various parts of the world have raised concerns about the attachment of ordinary Americans to democratic institutions and procedures. I find that substantial numbers of Republicans endorse statements contemplating violations of key democratic norms, including respect for the law and for the outcomes […] Read more »