Mood of the Nation: Majority of Americans are "extremely worried" about the country in 2022
Poll workers assist a voter in Minneapolis Minn. (left), help wanted sign on the front window of the D-Spot restaurant in Oakdale Minn. (center), a child receives a COVID-19 vaccine during a pop-up clinic at Harvest Prep School-Seed Academy in Minneapolis on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 (right). First and third photos by Tim Evans and second photo by Mark Zdechlik | MPR News.
by ALYSON CLARY | Jan. 12, 2022
DOCUMENTATION
DETAILED REPORT
SURVEY TRANSPARENCY DISCLOSURE & METHODS
RELATED
MARKETPLACE: How do Americans feel about the economy? Not very hopeful, poll finds
MOOD OF THE NATION: What Americans think of President Biden (Dec. 2021)
SURVEY: Minnesotans are still hopeful, but less so than 4 years ago
BLOG: Six signs of hope from our reporting in 2021
Over half the American public is “extremely worried” about where the country is headed over the next 12 months, citing politics, the economy—particularly inflation—and COVID-19 as the main sources of concern.
Roughly one-fifth of Americans are “extremely hopeful” about the country’s immediate future; although 1 in 4 Americans explicitly said that “nothing made them hopeful.” The most hopeful Americans placed that hope in politics and, in particular, upcoming elections.
When considering levels of worry and hope, the overall mood of the nation has not been this pessimistic since the lead up to the 2016 presidential election.
These findings are from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State’s most recent Mood of the Nation Poll, conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 7. Among other questions, the poll asked a representative sample of American adults to name both what makes them most hopeful and what makes them most worried about where the country is headed in the next year, and to then rate their level of worry and hope associated with those things. We analyzed the results to give you a picture of how Americans are approaching the year ahead.
Hope and worry
Heading into 2022, Americans are experiencing high levels of worry and much more temperate levels of hope. Eighty-four percent of Americans say they are either extremely (55%) or very worried (29%), compared to the 42% of Americans who describe themselves as extremely (18%) or very hopeful (24%). And, roughly one-quarter of Americans (26%) report that nothing makes them hopeful, while only 2% of Americans say that nothing makes them worried.
Levels of worry remain remarkably consistent across demographic categories, with no significant differences among them. Roughly half of all groups indicate they are “extremely worried,” regardless of gender, age, race and ethnicity, level of educational attainment or political affiliation.
When it comes to hope, Black Americans and, to a lesser extent, older Americans appear more hopeful than others. For example, while 19% of all Americans are extremely hopeful about the immediate future of the country, 35% of Black Americans and 23% of seniors (Americans 65 and older) report that they are extremely hopeful. And only 19% of seniors report that nothing made them hopeful, compared to the average of 26%.
Americans with a high-school degree or less report both that they are extremely hopeful (23%) and that nothing made them hopeful (31%) at significantly higher rates than those with a bachelors degree or more (13% and 18% respectively). The latter group, however, is far more likely to report moderate forms of hope compared to the former.
The proportion of all Americans who report feeling extremely worried, 55%, is near an all-time high for the Mood of the Nation poll. Sixty percent of Americans felt extremely worried in September 2020 and a nearly similar 56% felt extremely worried in June 2016.
Furthermore, the similar proportions of Democrats (56%), Independents (52%) and Republicans (55%) that report being extremely worried is noteworthy: It is only the second time since the Mood of the Nation Poll began in 2016 that all three political affiliations registered a level of “extremely worried” above 50%—the first time was in August of 2016.
A higher proportion of Democrats than Republicans indicated that they were extremely worried from the time that Trump was elected president (Nov. 2016) until just before Trump lost the 2020 election. The exception to this difference came in and around the time of the 2018 mid-term elections when Democrats gained control of the U.S. House. At that time the proportion of Democrats indicating they felt “extremely worried” temporarily fell while the proportion of Republicans indicating they were “extremely worried” increased.
Americans describe their hopes and worries for the country in 2022
The Mood of the Nation Poll asked respondents to identify both the thing that makes them most hopeful about where the country is headed in the next 12 months and the thing that makes them most worried.
By analyzing the larger themes in those open-ended answers, we are able to get a snapshot of the preoccupations of Americans at the end of 2021 and the dawn of the new year. Entering 2022, Americans are by and large hopeful and worried about the same three things: politics, COVID-19 and the economy.
Hopes
Respondents to the Mood of the Nation poll were most inclined to name politics as the thing that made them most hopeful; 32% of respondents gave an answer that fell into this category. Among those who indicated that they were either extremely or very hopeful, an even higher percentage (40%) mentioned something related to politics when asked what made them most hopeful about where America is headed in the next 12 months.
Forty-five percent of all Republicans mentioned something related to politics when asked what makes them most hopeful about where the country is headed in the next year, compared to only 27% of all Democrats and 23% of Independents. Of all Republican respondents who say they feel extremely or very hopeful about the country, 59% cite politics as the thing they are most hopeful about. The proportion of extremely or very hopeful Democrats (31%) and Independents (28%) who mention politics, however, only increases by a few percentage points.
Democrats tended to be hopeful about who currently holds office, while Republicans were hopeful about the 2022 midterm elections and the possibility of Republicans taking control of Congress. For example:
“Current leadership in White House and congress.” — 42-year-old White man from Nevada, Democrat, extremely hopeful.
“I am most hopeful that the Republicans will win the majority of seats in the House and Senate.” — 56-year-old White woman from Georgia, Republican, extremely hopeful.
Respondents also are hopeful that the country will be able to get the pandemic under control in the year ahead, and the majority specifically mentioned vaccines and vaccination progress. One-quarter of all Democrats mention something related to COVID-19 as the thing that makes them most hopeful, including 32% of Democrats who say they are extremely or very hopeful about where the country is headed in the next year. By comparison, only 16% of Republicans and 14% of Independents mention something related to COVID-19 as the thing that makes them most hopeful about the year ahead.
“The increase in vaccination rates.” — 78-year-old Hispanic woman from Texas, Democrat, extremely hopeful.
“I’m hopeful that COVID will be under control and that people can start visiting with friends and family more often.” — 33-year-old White woman from Kansas, Independent, very hopeful.
“Increases in COVID vaccinations.” — 25-year-old White man from Florida, Democrat, extremely hopeful.
One in 10 respondents feel hopeful about the economy. Democrats (13%) and Independents (10%) are far more inclined than Republicans (5%) to give an answer related to the economy as the thing that makes them most hopeful about where the country is headed in the next year.
“I firmly believe the majority of people in the U. S. want to do the right thing. They will continue to follow the COVID rules, get vaccinated and work and get educated either in trade schools or college. The economy will begin to level out as supplies increase and inflation decreases. I believe COVID is here to stay and we will begin to learn to live differently in terms of our health and how we treat others.” — 68-year-old Hispanic woman from California, Independent, very hopeful.
“As a whole, that much of the infrastructure will be repaired which will also provide jobs.” — 58-year-old White woman from Idaho, Democrat, very hopeful.
“Due to vaccine of COVID-19, economy will be good.” — 26-year-old Black man from Texas, Republican, extremely hopeful.
When asked what makes them most hopeful about where the country is heading, a substantial proportion—one-quarter—of respondents replied “Nothing” or something very similar. Independents give this answer at a significantly higher proportion, 2 in 5, than either Republicans (25%) or Democrats (18%).
Read several additional examples of respondents’ reasoning in their own words in the detailed report.
Worries
Politics, COVID-19 and the economy also are the sources of Americans’ worries for 2022. Many respondents voiced multiple concerns in their answer, and far fewer responded that “nothing” concerns them as compared to their responses to the question of what makes them hopeful (11% compared to 25% overall).
Thirty-four percent of respondents gave an answer that mentions something to do with politics as the thing that makes them most worried about the country in the year ahead, making it the most common theme that emerged from the responses. Intriguingly, while more Republicans than Democrats are hopeful about politics, Republicans (40%) are also more worried about politics than Democrats (33%) and Independents (27%).
“The division. We are a nation divided. The governmental overreach in all aspects of our lives. Inflation and higher taxes.”— 46-year-old White man from Ohio, Republican, extremely worried.
“That America continues on the polarization in politics that dramatically divides our country.” — 64-year-old White man from Florida, Democrat, extremely worried.
“The disinformation spreading in the country and its impact on our democracy and ability to conquer COVID.” — 42-year-old White woman from Colorado, Independent, extremely worried.
Unlike with the hopeful responses, COVID-19 (20%) and the economy (18%) are relatively tied in terms of the proportion who say they are worried about them. This is because terms related to the economy are present in 18% of the responses concerning Americans’ worries compared to only 10% of responses about Americans’ hopes. And, although, these two themes are less prevalent than politics, the terms “COVID,” “economy” and “inflation” are among the most frequently occurring single terms in the “worried” verbatim answers.
While 1 in 5 respondents say that they are most worried about something related to COVID-19, a little over one-quarter of all Democrats (28%) say they are most worried about the pandemic, compared to 15% of Independents and 14% of Republicans.
“Politicization of the pandemic prolongs [it] and causes unnecessary death and illness.” — 44-year-old Asian woman from Michigan, Democrat, extremely worried.
“More COVID outbreaks.” — 26-year-old White woman from Kentucky, Republican, extremely worried.
Nearly one-quarter of Republicans (24%) and 22% of Independents mention something related to the economy as what most worries them, compared to only 1 in 10 Democrats (11%). When looking at just those who say they are extremely or very worried, one-quarter, each, of Republicans (25%) and Independents (25%) mention the economy, while only 10% of Democrats do so.
“Economy, gas and grocery prices, climbing insurance premiums and deductibles, climate change.” — 59-year-old Hispanic man from Michigan, Republican, extremely worried.
“The economy is suffering. Prices are going up, up, up and wages are not.” — 20-year-old White woman from Ohio, Independent, extremely worried.
Read several examples of respondents’ reasoning in their own words in the detailed report.
PARTNER FOR THIS SURVEY
The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State promotes scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. Through teaching, research, and public outreach, the Institute leverages the resources of Penn State and partners around the world to foster a model of deliberation, policymaking, and responsiveness that is passionate, informed, and civil.
The Institute’s Mood of the Nation poll offers a unique approach to public opinion polling. It allows Americans to speak in their own words through open-ended questions that focus on emotions like anger and hope, as well as commitment to constitutional principles.