Americans aren’t sure that the current political system in the country is capable of handling the long-term problems that face the United States, a new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News shows.
Most Americans said that the country’s best years are in the past. That number is highest among Republicans who don’t support President Donald Trump, and the lowest among members of the GOP who do.
- 51 percent say the United States’ best years are behind it.
- 44 percent say the best years are in the future.
- 53 percent say America cannot overcome political division to solve problems.
- 44 percent say America can overcome these differences.
- 32 percent say the country is committed to democracy, compared to 53 percent in 1998.
- 50 percent say the country is committed to free markets, compared to 68 percent in 1998.
- 26 percent say the U.S. is tolerant of others, compared to 35 percent in 1998.
Although almost half of Americans say they avoid discussing politics with a friend of family member that doesn’t share their views, the vast majority of people say that politics is important to them.
- 87 percent said politics is important to them, 44 percent said it is very important.
- 50 percent of Americans said that politics was important to them in 1990, with 16 percent saying it was very important.
“That’s not a shift. It’s a fundamental reset,” said pollster Bill McInturff, a Republican who conducted the survey along with Democrat Jeff Horwitt.
“Most Americans believe that Democracy in America needs some real work,” said Horwitt. “America is not a house divided—and this is not a teardown—but it is a house in need of a lot of work on its foundation and repairing significant structural damage.”
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