[Washington Times] Political discord has become so prevalent that some Americans believe a second civil war could be in the nation’s future. Yes, there are numbers.
"We find that most Americans believe divisions have gotten worse since the start of 2021 and most expect them to grow in the coming years. Two in five Americans believe a civil war is at least somewhat likely in the next decade; Republicans are more likely than Democrats to expect civil war," wrote Taylor Orth, a senior data journalist with the pollster YouGov, which regularly gauges public opinion on political and cultural matters.
"Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe that political divisions in this country have gotten worse since the beginning of 2021, compared to only 8% who say the country has grown less divided. Few see things improving in the coming years: 62% expect an increase in political divisions," Ms. Orth wrote.
"A similar share (63%) to the proportion who say political divisions have worsened (66%) say political violence has increased since the start of 2021. Three in five Americans (60%) anticipate an increase in political violence in the next few years and only 9% expect political violence to decline," she said.
There has been some rumbling in the press about a "second civil war" off and on throughout former President Donald Trump’s time in office, and to this day. Some examples from the last 48 hours:
"What all this fluff about a new civil war, anyway" asked a New York Times op-ed on Sunday.
"Is the United States headed for civil war?" asked another editorial inquiry in The Washington Post.
"Are we headed for a civil war?" asked syndicated columnist Star Parker.
"For a nation to function, there must be some common denominator of shared values and principles. This common denominator of shared values and principles is dangerously eroding today, and animosities are sharpening and deepening," Ms. Parker wrote.
"Am I predicting another civil war? God forbid," she said. |