(PresidentialHill.com)- In a recent survey, Gallup found that Americans are “largely pessimistic” about the country’s prospects both domestically and internationally in 2023.
According to the survey, nearly 8 in 10 Americans (79 percent) believe 2023 will bring economic difficulty with higher taxes and a growing budget deficit.
Over 60 percent believe consumer prices will increase at a high rate and the stock market will plummet in 2023. Additionally, just over half expect the unemployment rate to climb this year.
Domestically, 90 percent of respondents expect 2023 to be a year of political conflict, with 72 percent expecting crime to increase and 56 percent predicting many labor union strikes.
Internationally, 85 percent anticipate a year fraught with discord. Meanwhile, 64 percent believe America’s power on the world stage will decline while 73 percent believe China’s power will increase. At the same time, 64 percent expect Russia to decrease in power this year.
Gallup has been intermittently asking Americans to offer their predictions for the coming year since 1960. Based on its historical data, Gallup said that generally, Americans’ predictions “are largely dependent on their views of the domestic and international climates at the time.”
When broken down by party, Democrats appear more hopeful of 2023 than Republicans or Independents, Gallup reported, with Democrats more likely to offer positive predictions for every dimension of the survey. But according to Gallup, it is usually the case that respondents who identify with the current president’s party tend to be more sanguine.
According to the survey, majorities of Democrats see five positive developments for 2023, including full or increasing employment (69 percent), a reasonable rise in consumer prices (53 percent), an increase in the stock market (53 percent), and an increase in US influence on the world stage (56 percent).
At the same time, Democrats are the least likely to predict political cooperation in 2023 (13 percent).
