A YouGov poll reveals anxieties about impending economic and political turmoil.
A substantial portion of American adults anticipate the United States could encounter major challenges in the coming decade, potentially forfeiting its status as a global superpower, a recent YouGov poll indicates.
Out of 1,111 adults surveyed online in mid-June, 21% believed a significant decline in the US global position over the next decade was very probable, while another 24% found this scenario somewhat probable.
Overall, 45% of those surveyed considered a complete economic collapse at least somewhat conceivable. Forty percent anticipated a civil conflict, with an equal percentage believing in a total breakdown of law and order.
Close to that figure, 38% indicated a belief that the US might cease to be a democracy within 10 years. Thirty-one percent suggested the nation could transition into a fascist dictatorship, while 20% forecasted a communist dictatorship.
Just 43% of respondents reported that the current US political system is functioning at least tolerably, though partisan opinions differed significantly. Among Democrats, 26% found the system operating satisfactorily, contrasting with 69% of Republicans and 36% of independents.
While the majority of Americans stated their belief in living in a democracy irrespective of party lines, a majority also held that the country is undergoing a constitutional crisis. This perspective was held by 56% of respondents, comprising 82% of Democrats and 26% of Republicans.
Forty-seven percent of Democrats expressed deep concern about the trajectory of international events, contrasted with 10% of Republicans and 30% of independents.
In comparison to ten years prior, 67% of those surveyed observed an increase in political violence and misinformation within the US, with a minimum of half believing these issues are more acute in the US than in other democracies.