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Poll: Majorities of Republicans and Democrats Say the U.S. Is ‘In a State of Decay’

More than three-quarters of likely voters believe the United States is “in a state of decay,” according to a new poll by the Trafalgar Group for Convention of States Action, a grassroots organization aimed at convening a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

The poll, conducted in December, asked a single question: “Do you believe American society and culture is in a state of decay or a state of progress?” Just over 76 percent of respondents answered “state of decay,” while 9.8 percent answered “state of progress.” Another 13.4 percent said they were unsure. 

Republicans and voters who identify with no party or a third party were the most pessimistic. Just over 85 percent of Republican respondents and 81.8 percent of independents or other party voters chose “decay.”

But even 61 percent of Democrats answered “state of decay” while just 15.4 percent said “state of progress.” Another 23.6 percent of Democrats said they were unsure. 

When broken down by race and ethnicity, 79.5 percent of white voters chose “decay” over “progress.” Among black and Hispanic voters, 66.4 percent and 68.7 percent respectively answered “decay.”   

Mark Meckler, CEO of Convention of States Action, said the Democrats’ level of pessimism surprised him, as did the high numbers among black and Hispanic voters in particular. Noting blacks and Hispanics tend to vote for Democrats, Meckler said the poll points to “a distinct lack of voter enthusiasm” going into the 2022 midterm elections.  

“When you tie all of the polling we’ve been doing together, you see the same kind of trends,” Meckler said. “Democrats have lost black and Hispanic support on big issues like the response to COVID-19, the economy, inflation, the supply chain, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

“We’re looking at a big shift in November,” Meckler added, suggesting a six to eight point swing to the Republicans in the upcoming congressional elections. The polls show voters have “a sense of complete disconnect of the elites from the American people.” That disconnect, he added, is “part of decay.”

“I’ve been to 48 states in the past two years,” Meckler told American Greatness. “I’m hearing a lot of doom and gloom out there.”

The survey of 1,076 likely voters was taken between December 17 and December 21 and has a margin of error of 2.99 percent. Read the report below. 

COSA National AmericanSociety Poll Report by American Greatness on Scribd

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About Ben Boychuk

Ben Boychuk is managing editor of American Greatness. He is a former weekly syndicated columnist with Tribune Media, and a veteran of several publications, including City Journal, Investor's Business Daily, and the Claremont Review of Books. He lives in California. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter, “Nice Things and Why You Can’t Have Them.”

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