Poll: Americans Say Nation Is Off-Track

(CBS)  As Americans prepare to celebrate their nation's birthday this Fourth of July, it may be a bittersweet occasion. A CBS News poll finds that many think the Founding Fathers would be disappointed in the nation today, and belief in a better future for the next generation of Americans is down somewhat from last year.

Yet, most of those polled are satisfied with their own lives – especially those who have higher incomes. Essential parts of the American Dream remain alive and well this Independence Day: most think opportunities for success are better than their parents' were, and Americans overwhelmingly say it is still possible to go from rags to riches with hard work.

Many Americans – 48 percent - express pessimism about the future for the next generation: they think life for them will be worse than life is today.

THE FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION WILL BE...

Better
25%
Worse
48%
Same
24%

This downbeat sentiment has spread since last year, up ten points, and is very different from 2000, when CBS News polls found many more were optimistic. Pessimism was higher, though, in 1995.

But, the poll finds most Americans believe that the possibilities for success remain in their own hands.

STILL POSSIBLE TO START POOR, WORK HARD, AND GET RICH?

Yes
81%
No
18%

Americans are satisfied with how things are going in their lives – but not completely. Overall, about half call themselves somewhat satisfied and 27 percent are completely so.

But, when the answers are broken down by income level, the poll finds a correlation between income and happiness.

THOSE MAKING MORE THAN $50,000:
SATISFIED WITH HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN YOUR LIFE?

Completely satisfied
36%
Somewhat satisfied
51%
Somewhat/completed dissatisfied
13%

THOSE MAKING LESS THAN $50,000:

Completely satisfied
15%
Somewhat satisfied
47%
Somewhat/completed dissatisfied
37%

Most Americans still believe they have a better chance at success than their parents' generation did, the poll finds. Yet pessimism on this is higher than at the start of this decade: today almost one in five thinks their opportunities are worse – something very few people thought in 2000.

The poll finds American's opinion of the country as a whole even more pessimistic.

IF THE FOUNDERS CAME BACK THEY WOULD BE...

Pleased
20%
Disappointed
72%

Many of those polled said the nation is on the wrong track – more so today than ever before. Only 19 percent of Americans believe the country is generally going in the right direction – the lowest number recorded in a CBS News Poll since the question was first asked in 1983.

[twylacrat]

seven-pesos; Jeez, you have a lot of hate and anger in you. Have you tried yoga or prayer? You better pace yourself. Life is longer than you think.

[klingon69]

Mercyme884,,, Don't bother praying -- God's too busy flooding Texas.
Posted by j-whitman at 02:33 PM : Jul 01, 2007
You sure got that right, glad I have a boat. Think it has rained everyday for the last month.

[klingon69]

Would someone please just give Bush a blowwjob so that we can impeach him?



Posted by micma at 12:11 PM : Jul 01, 2007
Are you volunteering?

[johnnye6]

Is there anywhere else you would rather be living than in the United States ? ANYWHERE ?
-------------------------------------------

Scandinavia?

Who's falling for the propaganda? The jingoists keep saying we're the best in the world. If you look at the facts, we're not. You can look it up.

US Rankings:
28th in environment policies
17th of 22 industrial nations in graduation rates from high school
22nd in life expectancy
US & Britain at the bottom of 21 wealthy countries in children's well-being.
American 15-year-olds ranked 24th out of 29 developed nations in mathematics literacy
16th in broadband Internet access
31st regarding respect for freedom of expression
42nd in infant mortality prevention
37th highest homicide rate in the world
8th in the Human Development Index
19th in percentage of people living below poverty line
4th in GDP per capita per hour
13th in privacy index
10th in the [anti]bribe payers index
9th in economic freedom
6th in Global Competitiveness

But we do lead the world in CO2 emissions and military expenditures.

[bayo4]

and lets not talk about the inmense gap between the rich and the poor

[bayo4]

christian fundamentalism is far more dangerous for americans than muslims.this war on terrorism is just an excuse to cut off all liberties and the us will end up as a fascist dictatorsip, besides, there are many worse problems america will have to face, for example peak oil, climate change, emerging china, corruption, the poor health care americans get, poor and corrupted media press ...

[speakinup]

I'm proud of the United States. I suspect our founding fathers would be too.

They would be dismayed at the political tool our news media has become. I'm all for a free press, but I believe the media should be held responsible for their inaccuracies. They are here to serve us, not give us propaganda.

Is there anywhere else you would rather be living than in the United States ? ANYWHERE ?

I'll be flying the flag high on the fourth!

[radiob-2009]

Seven pesos and Lars8 standing on a swing
Seven asked Lars oh won't you marry me
Lars said let me get this straight
Neither of us know love so this is a marriage of hate?

[j-whitman]

Mercyme884,,, Just the same, God's too busy flooding Texas & trying to stop the killing -- He's not gettting any help.

[seven-pesos]

never a war the south couldn't lose.

jefferson davis lost his,
johnson lost his
bush will lose his.

the south has lost every war they started.

idiot southern creeps are only good for sunday afternoon parades

in their tight-butt uniforms.

ha,ha,ha.

war, division, arrogance, phony christian creeps, crooked republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!