A hair shy of half of Americans believe the federal government presents “an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens,” a new Gallup Poll finds.
Advertisement
In a poll that was released on Saturday, 75 percent of respondents said they believe corruption is widespread in the government.
As Gallup notes in its analysis, that low initial number is probably the result of Americans’ overall happiness with the government in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Sixty-five percent of Republicans said the federal government poses an immediate threat compared to just 32 percent of Democrats.
The proportion was nearly exactly the opposite a decade ago, during the George W. Bush administration, prompting Gallup researchers to point out that “these attitudes reflect more of a response to the president and disagreement with his policies than a fundamental feeling about the federal government in general.” The percentage gradually increased to 44% by 2006, and then reached the 46% to 49% range in four surveys conducted since 2010. The biggest concern from voters is the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy, with 19 percent saying it is too vast.Another 15 percent of respondents worry the federal government is also violating too many civil liberties and personal freedoms belonging to everyday Americans/The Hill.
Earlier this month, a YouGov poll found that 29 percent of people in the U.S. could imagine supporting a military coup against the government.
The most frequently mentioned threats involve gun control, or there are just too many laws and the government is meddling in our private lives too much.
Advertisement
The poll revealed that general complaints about the government included massive uncontrolled spending, “socialism,” involvement in things outside its jurisdiction or authority, and violation of the separation of powers. In total, 65 percent of Republicans or independents who lean Republican believe the government is a threat. The Republicans and Democrats “flipped in their probability of holding these views when administrations changed in 2009” according to hngn. The survey has a 4 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level.
