Americans take a dim view of the nation’s future, look more positively at the past
When Americans look ahead to 2050, they see a country that in many respects will be worse than it is today.
Gun owners in the United States continue to cite protection far more than other factors, including hunting and sport shooting, as a major reason they own a gun. About half of Americans who don’t own a gun say they could never see themselves owning one (52%) while nearly as many could imagine themselves as gun owners in the future (47%).
65% of Americans say Hamas bears a lot of responsibility for the current conflict, compared with 35% who say this about the Israeli government.
Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics.
Growing shares of Republicans rate immigration and terrorism as top priorities for the president and Congress this year.
65% say most political candidates run for office “to serve their own personal interests.”
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