Americans are pessimistic about the future Pew Research says.

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   tsmogposted 2 years ago

   Getting to the nitty-gritty.
   
   Americans take a dim view of the nation’s future, look more positively at the past by Pew Research (Apr 24, 2023)
   https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads … -the-past/
   
   A bonus is the link following goes the actual questions used if curious.
   https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/ … opline.pdf
   
   ** "Sizable majorities of U.S. adults say that in 2050 – just over 25 years away – the U.S. economy will be weaker, the United States will be less important in the world, political divisions will be wider and there will be a larger gap between the rich and the poor. Far fewer adults predict positive developments in each of these areas."
   
   ** "In contrast with their negative predictions for the country’s future, large shares of adults view the past in a more positive light than the present day. Around six-in-ten (58%) say that life in America is worse today than it was 50 years ago for people like them. Only about a quarter (23%) say life today is better, while 19% say it is about the same."
   
   ** Republicans and Democrats alike are now more likely than in 2021 to say that life is worse for people like them, though this view continues to be more prevalent among Republicans than Democrats. Roughly seven-in-ten Republicans (72%) say that life is worse today, up from 59% who said this in 2021. Among Democrats, 43% now say this, up from 30% two years ago.
   
   What say you looking forward to 2050? How do you think your children feel about it? Grandchildren? In other words, do you have any idea how the generations following the boomers feel looking toward 2050? Do you think our nation's, state, and local leadership recognize how their constituents think about the future? Otherwise go for it with any view/opinion be it optimistic/pessimistic/realist.

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      Nathanvilleposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I had a look at the YouGov opinion poll in 2022 for Britain, which asked the question:-
      
      “Taking everything into account, do you think Britain is a better or worse country to live than it was in 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne?”
      
      And the results were:-
      
      •    Better = 43%
      •    Worse = 29%
      •    About the same = 15%
      
      Which is a striking difference to your poll for America in 2023, which is:-
      
      •    Better = 23%
      •    Worse = 58%
      •    About the same = 19%
      
      So all in all, Brits seem to have a lot more positive attitude to life in Britain than Americans in America!
      
      I couldn’t find any comparable poll on YouGov for the 2nd question e.g. “How much confidence do you have in the future of the United States” – the only thing I could find is that at the end of last year 78% of Brits feel that the government is doing a poor job of managing the cost of living.

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      Credence2posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Well, TSmog, it is hard to tell, my young nieces and nephews seem oblivious about the future while I have always been obsessed about the past and the future. It might be a generational thing. The machines have, in fact, taken over and they are just along for the ride wherever it takes them.
      
      Washington is too embroiled in current political gridlock to properly prepare for the next 10 years, let alone the next 25... The hard and fast divide between people, ideologies and political parties makes it appear that we will never agree to do anything in concert and that is relatively new in modern times and a source of dismay and pessimism.
      
      The past has a nostalgic simplicity for many, as long as you could continue to hide or shroud those aspects that were not as pleasant.

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