Americans Extremely Pessimistic On Country
Fascinating article in today’s NY Times that is getting a lot of play: “81% in Poll Say Nation Is Heading on Wrong Track”, NY Times, Friday April 4.
The 81% who say the nation has gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track is up from 69% a year ago (Wrong Track Chart).
78% said the country is worse off than it was 5 years ago compared to 4% who said things are better now.
Only 21% said the economy was in good condition compared to 79% who said it was in bad condition.
Also interesting is how the economy has surpassed war and terrorism as the most pressing concern to most Americans. A year ago 30% listed war or terrorism as the nations most pressing issue and about half as many said the economy or jobs. Today the numbers are reversed: 37% vs 17%.