There are a lot of troubles in the United States, and this Independence Day index | confidence | the United States

The latest survey on the government confidence index of G7 countries released by Gallup Consulting on the 3rd local time shows that the United States has the lowest score among the 7 G7 countries.

Only 31% of American voters express confidence in their own government. In 2006, when Gallup began this survey, this figure had reached 56%.

△ Gallup poll data screenshot

The survey also found that in the past 20 years, the confidence of the American people in their own government has been sharply declining.

Especially after the Biden administration took office, the confidence index of Americans in the government dropped to 40% in 2021 and further dropped to 31% in 2022.

△ Gallup poll data screenshot

The results of this poll were released on July 4th as the United States celebrated another Independence Day, adding a significant obstacle to this "number one superpower".

"Americans are becoming increasingly poor"

While this year's Independence Day in the United States is accompanied by extremely bad weather such as ultra-high temperatures and strong storms, there are indeed many bad things that have caused Americans to lose confidence in the government.

On the night of July 3rd local time, a large-scale shooting occurred in Fort Worth, Texas, resulting in at least 3 deaths and 8 injuries.

Screenshots of CNN coverage in the United States

In the previous two days, there have been multiple large-scale shooting incidents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Maryland, and other places, resulting in heavy casualties, including a large number of minors.

△ Fox News Network: The large-scale shooting in Baltimore resulted in 2 deaths and 28 injuries

If similar shooting incidents have become a daily life for Americans, then various crimes far beyond gun violence have had a deeper impact on the US economy and society.

According to US media reports, in recent times, individual and organized theft and robbery incidents targeting commercial facilities such as banks and shops have dealt a heavy blow to the retail industry in cities of all sizes in the United States, with many businesses even forced to close or relocate.

The New York Post: In the early hours of the 2nd local time, three commercial facilities in the US capital, Washington D.C., were repeatedly attacked using explosive devices and incendiary flasks within 15 minutes. One of the shops was only a few blocks away from the US Congress.

While social security is seriously deteriorating, ordinary Americans still have to continue to worry about their lives.

Although the current inflation rate in the United States has decreased compared to last year's record high, the high prices have not eased the grocery store pain that most Americans experience.

According to the latest survey by the US Census Bureau, approximately 88% of American adults reported that prices in their residential and shopping areas have continued to rise in the past two months; Nearly 82% of people are more or less concerned that prices will continue to rise.

△ Screenshots of reports from the US News&World Report website

Since 2013, the Federal Reserve has set $400 as the baseline for emergency spending that consumers can afford in its annual report on US household economic well-being. But the investigation found that the high inflation rate has led to a significant increase in the average emergency spending of American households, and the original figures are outdated.

△ Fox Business Channel website: Currently, two-thirds of American consumers exceed the $400 benchmark for emergency spending, with 41% of them spending twice or even more than this benchmark

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell recently stated that the United States may not be able to lower its inflation rate to 2% until 2025, and the Federal Reserve may still consider further interest rate hikes.

Several experts have warned that as the Federal Reserve fights inflation at all costs, the US economy is getting closer to recession, and ordinary people will be hit the most directly.

Capitol Hill: The Federal Reserve's "hard landing" forecast has raised the unemployment rate to 10%, which means about 10 million more people will lose their jobs in the United States.

Terry Collins, a reporter for USA Today, bluntly stated that the current feelings of Americans towards the domestic economic situation can be described in two words - "frustration" and "uncertainty".

Screenshot of USA Today report

Everyone is worried about the future, no matter who it is

Behind the frustration and uncertainty lies the growing concern and dissatisfaction of Americans towards the current political polarization.

With the ongoing struggle between the two parties in the United States, the national public power, which should have served the public, has long been recklessly used by politicians as a weapon of mutual restraint and criticism.

At the same time, almost all important issues related to American national economy, people's livelihoods, and fairness and justice, from firearms to race, from immigration to debt, have fallen into an unsolvable cycle in the reality of polarized party struggles.

Just taking the issue of race as an example: The US Supreme Court recently overturned the Equal Rights Act for university admissions, effectively prohibiting American universities from considering racial equality as a factor in their admissions process.

Screenshot of the Associated Press report

The analysis points out that this ruling is an inevitable result of the current power structure of the United States Supreme Court, which is dominated by conservative justices, highlighting the current situation of political polarization in the United States.

It is in this context that in recent years, the Supreme Court of the United States has repeatedly made conservative rulings in cases involving sensitive issues such as abortion and gun control, which has sparked huge controversy and led to growing social cracks in the United States.

The latest poll shows that the trust of the American people in the Supreme Court and Congress has continued to decline since 2017, reaching historic lows of 48% and 34%, respectively.

And Americans' trust in the federal government has dropped to its lowest level in 20 years. Currently, less than one-third of American voters still trust the government.

△ Screenshot of Fox News report

A recent poll conducted by USA Today in collaboration with Suffolk University in the United States shows that both Democrats and Republicans are now concerned about the future of American democracy.

△ USA Today: 74% of Democrats believe that "American democracy is in extreme danger," while about 75% of Republicans and 66% of independents share the same view.

The sharp opposition between the two parties under "veto politics" and "identity politics" not only makes it difficult to find a solution to many of America's troubles, but it has also evolved into America's "number one problem".

American public opinion generally believes that as the 2024 election approaches, American politics will become more violent, putting the already severely torn American society at greater risk.

Screenshots of a report by The New York Times

Amidst a murky atmosphere, the United States continues to fall into a dangerous vortex of democratic distortion, political incompetence, and social disharmony.

According to a recent poll released by NBC, American voters are generally dissatisfied with the current situation, with up to 74% believing that the United States is walking the wrong path.

NBC host Chuck Todd announces poll results

Some media comments point out that the escalating partisan struggles and polarization in the United States over the past 30 years have "formed a toxic mixture of mutual distrust and resentment", and have had serious consequences.

"The Biden administration has been trying to unite the country, but the reality is exactly the opposite."

△ Screenshot of report on the website of National Public Radio in the United States

Source: Global Information Radio's "Global Deep Observation"

Planning | Wang Jian

Reporter | Yuan Ding

Editor | Yang Nan

Signature and Review | Wang Jian

Producer | Guan Juanjuan