Large majorities foresee economic hardship and political division at home, coupled with a decline in the US’ global power
Revellers gather under the rain during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, New York, December 31, 2022 © AP / Andres Kudacki
Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about their country’s fortunes in 2023, with 80% predicting economic hardship and 90% expecting increased political conflict, a Gallup poll has found. Respondents also see both Russia and the US weakening amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Published on Tuesday, the survey found that 81% of Amercans expect their taxes to increase rather than fall this year, 79% expect a year of “economic difficulty,” and 65% expect prices to keep increasing at a high rate.
Some 72% expect crime rates to rise, while 90% say that 2023 will bring more “political conflict” than “political cooperation.”
These trends have already been established in 2022. The year saw inflation rise to a 40-year high, with the Biden administration adding trillions of dollars in new spending regardless. Biden closed out the year by signing a $1.7 trillion spending bill, which although heavily criticized by Republicans, passed Congress with the support of a handful of top GOP lawmakers.
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While crime rates have not risen nationally, violent offenses rose dramatically in some cities in the aftermath of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
The American foreign policy establishment spent the year heavily focused on Ukraine, with Washignton sending progressively heavier shipments of arms to Kiev and allocating more than $100 billion in economic and military aid to the country since the start of Russia’s military operation last February.
Only 14% of respondents predict “a more peaceful year” ahead, with 85% anticipating “a more troubled year with much international discord.” 64% said that 2023 will be a year in which “American power will decline” in the world, with an equal number predicting a decline in Russian power.
With the US and Russia locked into the Ukrainian conflict, 73% said that they expect “China will increase its power in the world.”
With their party entering 2023 in control of the White House and one of the two houses of Congress, Democrats are more optimistic about the year ahead than Republicans. More than a third expect economic prosperity, compared to 4% of Republicans, while 47% expect crime rates to subside, compared to 6% of Republicans.
