Americans feel generally pessimistic about the future of the United States when it comes to several aspects of society, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. In particular, 63% of Americans are pessimistic about the country’s moral and ethical standards, and 59% are pessimistic about its education system. Smaller shares are pessimistic about other aspects of the country’s future. Still, more Americans feel pessimistic than
Views on these items differ considerably by party and, in some cases, by race and ethnicity and by age. By double-digit margins, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say The only topic Democrats are more pessimistic about than Republicans is racial equality. More than half of Democrats (54%) are pessimistic about the United States’ ability to ensure racial equality for all people. In contrast, 34% of Republicans are pessimistic about this and 33% are optimistic. Views about moral and ethical standards and about the institution of marriage and the family also differ by age. Adults ages 65 and older are more pessimistic than younger age groups in both areas. Across racial and ethnic groups
Source: pewresearch
