“The research portrays in no uncertain terms a nation in a state of deep cynicism and fear about losing their country, characteristics which coincidentally preceded Trump’s ‘surprise’ victory in 2016.”
Last November, a sixty-page research survey of over 2,500 Americans was quietly released by a DC think tank. It portrays a bleak picture of deep anxiety about the state of the country one year ahead of the 2022 general election.
The survey found:
- Over half of Americans and 80% of Republicans say America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
- Over half of Americans and 79% of Republicans say the American way of life needs to be protected from foreign influence.
- Over half of Americans and 70% of Republicans believe American culture has changed for the worse since the 1950s.
- Forty percent of Americans, including 31% of Democrats, feel like strangers in their own county.
What is particularly interesting about this survey is the source — a DC think tank called Public Religion Research Institute, which says it is non-partisan but runs content about Republicans being “entangled in the big lie” and promotes a book titled “White too long”, blaming white Christians for white supremacy.
Despite the lean of the organization, PRRI published perhaps one of the most detailed analyses of American anxiety and fear about the future of the country in recent history.
“Despite the lean of the organization, PRRI published perhaps one of the most detailed analyses of American anxiety and fear about the future of the country in recent history.”
Among PRRI’s findings is the fact that Americans overall say 52% to 48% that “Today, America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.” A full 80% of Republicans, 50% Independents, and 33% of Democrats say America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
Americans say 52% to 47% that American culture and way of life have mostly changed for the worse since the 1950s. This result is a drastic change from even one year prior in the fall of 2020 when Americans said 55% to 44% that life had changed for the better since the 1950s.
As of fall 2021, a full 70% of Republicans say American culture and way of life have changed for the worse and just 29% say things have changed for the better. PRRI notes that these numbers closely mirror Republican sentiment just before Trump’s election in 2016, when only 31% of Republicans said life had changed for the better since the 1950s.
“As of fall 2021, a full 70% of Republicans say American culture and way of life have changed for the worse and just 29% say things have changed for the better. PRRI notes that these numbers closely mirror Republican sentiment just before Trump’s election in 2016, when only 31% of Republicans said life had changed for the better since the 1950s.”
The research also shows a full 40% of Americans say “Things have changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own country.” While Republicans and Independents are more likely to say this (56% and 39% respectively), three in ten Democrats (31%) also feel like strangers in their own country.
White Americans have a lower opinion of the state of the country and the future than Hispanics and Blacks, with 57% of whites saying America is in danger of losing its culture and identity compared to 49% of Blacks and 43% of Hispanics. There is a fairly large education gap among whites, with 63% of non-college whites saying America is in danger of losing its identity compared to 44% of college-educated whites. Still, just a little less than half of college-educated whites think America is in danger of losing its culture and identity, and more college educated whites than Hispanics think this.
“White Americans in particular have a lower opinion of the state of the country and the future, with 57% of whites saying America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.”
White Americans are also less likely to think their own generation will be better off than that of their parents compared to Black and Hispanic Americans. Just over half of white Americans (51%) think their generation will be better off than that of their parents, compared to 61% of Black Americans and 56% of Hispanic Americans according to PRRI.
Belief that a college-education is a smart investment is also falling rapidly among all Americans and is lowest among whites. Only 45% of Americans say a college education is a smart investment, while 54% say it is a risky investment that might not pay off. This view is a significant change in opinion from 2016, when 55% of Americans said college was a smart investment. As PRRI points out, skepticism about college was one of the strongest predictors of support for Trump in 2016.
Among whites, the belief that a college education is a good investment has dropped to just 41%, an 11-point decline since 2016. Among Blacks, this belief has dropped to 48%, an 8-point decline since 2016, and among Hispanics this belief has dropped to 54%, a 14-point decline since 2016.
American anxiety about the future and disillusionment with the direction of the country appears to have only increased in the two and a half months since the PRRI survey was released.
“American anxiety about the future and disillusionment with the direction of the country appears to have only increased in the two and a half months since the PRRI survey was released.”
A new NBC News poll portrays Americans as “divided, doubting democracy, falling behind, and tuning out”, in the words of Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt who conducted the survey along with conservative pollster Bill McInturff. The survey finds President Biden’s approval rating in the low 40s and, “key Democratic groups losing interest in the upcoming election.”
Republicans may be the most dissatisfied about the direction of the country heading into the midterms, but according to NBC News, “Republicans enjoy a double-digit advance on enthusiasm ahead of November’s elections, with 61 percent of Republicans saying they are very interested in the upcoming midterms — registering their interest either as a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale — compared with 47 percent of Democrats who say the same.”
“Republicans enjoy a double-digit advance on enthusiasm ahead of November’s elections, with 61 percent of Republicans saying they are very interested in the upcoming midterms — registering their interest either as a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale — compared with 47 percent of Democrats who say the same.” — NBC News poll
The NBC News poll finds polarization among Americans has drastically increased since 2010. Seventy percent of Americans now say America is so polarized that it can no longer solve major issues and that the division will only continue to grow. These numbers are a huge change since 2010 when 50% of Americans said America “always comes together” and just 45% said political differences would continue to grow.
On top of this, the Supreme Court just accepted two cases that challenge the admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which could signal the beginning of the end of affirmative action. On Monday, the high court accepted Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, cases that seek to remedy unfair admissions policies that disproportionately penalize Asian Americans. Asian Americans are on the cusp of leaving the Democrat fold, and issues like affirmative action are playing a big role. These cases are further indications of a breakdown of the leftwing narrative that has ruled for decades.
These findings portray in no uncertain terms a nation in a state of deep cynicism and fear about losing their country, characteristics which coincidentally preceded Trump’s ‘surprise’ victory in 2016. The sentiment of cynicism about the state of the country and its future is particularly pronounced among whites and Republicans, but sizeable shares of Independents and Democrats are deeply concerned about the trajectory of the country and feel like strangers in their own country.
