Facing a pandemic, racial tensions and economic tumult all at once, most US citizens say their way of life is at risk.
According to new Economist/YouGov Poll data, 65 percent of Americans agree the “American way of life” is under threat, while 21 percent disagree.
Just two months out from the presidential election and supporters of President Donald Trump are much more likely to agree the American way of life is under threat, compared to Joe Biden supporters (65% vs. 83%).
Who else feels this way? Older, white Americans, those with a high school education or less, southerners, and middle-income earners are all more likely to agree the American way of life is under threat.
Trump elicited the phrase several times, including during his nomination acceptance speech at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention last week. "[T]his election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life, or whether we allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it."
Meanwhile, the latest polling data from the Economist and YouGov also shows roughly a quarter of Americans think the country is headed in the right direction, while 65 percent think it’s off on the wrong track.
The percentage of Democrats who say the country is on the right track has remained relatively steady this year, while half (50%) of Republicans say so.
Methodology: The Economist survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,500 U.S. adult citizens interviewed online between August 30 - September 1, 2020. This sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the American Community Survey, conducted by the US Bureau of the Census, as well as 2016 Presidential vote, registration status, geographic region, and news interest. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all US citizens. The margin of error is approximately 3.5% for the overall sample.
Image: Getty
The Economist/YouGov poll did not define the American way of life, but we want to know your thoughts. Chat with us below and tell us what you think about the American way of life
