WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new Gallup poll found average satisfaction amongst Americans is at its lowest in two decades.
Gallup has asked Americans about their satisfaction with various aspects of the country nearly every year since 2001.
The aspects measured include satisfaction with the overall quality of life in the United States, assessments of government, corporate and religious influence, and perceptions of the economic and moral climates.
This year, Gallup says average satisfaction has plunged to 39%. That’s down from 53% a year ago, the highest average in more than a decade, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
And not only is average public satisfaction with the broad contours of the country at an extreme low, but Gallup also says Americans’ satisfaction with each element of the index is at or near its lowest since 2001.
Today, the poll shows Americans are satisfied with only two dimensions: the overall quality of life in the country (67%) and the opportunity for a person to get ahead through hard work (58%).
For the first time, less than half of Americans are satisfied with the influence of organized religion (48%). Barely a quarter are now satisfied with how government is working (27%) as well as the size and influence of major corporations (26%). And a mere 18% are satisfied with the nation's moral and ethical climate, down by more than half from 47% in 2002 and lagging behind the prior low of 26% in 2019.
The peak satisfaction ratings for all seven elements tracked since 2001 were recorded in 2002. Gallup says that high point reflected the surge in Americans' positive feelings about the country in the immediate post-9/11 period.
