*Has it changed?
(NEWSER) – 2017 marked "a pronounced shift" in American fears. Christopher Bader of Chapman University, which has released its fourth annual Survey of American Fears, notes "environmental fears" are prominent in the 10 biggest fears of Americans for the first time, per a release. For the third year in a row, "corruption of government officials" took the top spot.
But pollution of drinking water and oceans appeared in the top 10 for the first time, as did new fear "TrumpCare," which took the runner-up spot nabbed by "terrorist attacks" in 2016. The International Business Times calls this "a clear reflection of the political unrest and uncertainty in the wake of Donald Trump's election as president." Participants were asked about "80 different fears across a huge variety of topics ranging from crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology, and many others," per Chapman. Here are the top 10 fears of 2017, based on responses from 1,200 participants across the country:
Corrupt government officials: 74.5%
American Healthcare Act/TrumpCare: 55%
Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes: 53%
Pollution of drinking water: 50%
Not having enough money for the future: 50%
High medical bills: 48%
US involvement in a world war: 48%
Global warming and climate change: 48%
North Korea using weapons: 47.5%
Air pollution: 45%
(NEWSER) – 2017 marked "a pronounced shift" in American fears. Christopher Bader of Chapman University, which has released its fourth annual Survey of American Fears, notes "environmental fears" are prominent in the 10 biggest fears of Americans for the first time, per a release. For the third year in a row, "corruption of government officials" took the top spot.
But pollution of drinking water and oceans appeared in the top 10 for the first time, as did new fear "TrumpCare," which took the runner-up spot nabbed by "terrorist attacks" in 2016. The International Business Times calls this "a clear reflection of the political unrest and uncertainty in the wake of Donald Trump's election as president." Participants were asked about "80 different fears across a huge variety of topics ranging from crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology, and many others," per Chapman. Here are the top 10 fears of 2017, based on responses from 1,200 participants across the country:
Corrupt government officials: 74.5%
American Healthcare Act/TrumpCare: 55%
Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes: 53%
Pollution of drinking water: 50%
Not having enough money for the future: 50%
High medical bills: 48%
US involvement in a world war: 48%
Global warming and climate change: 48%
North Korea using weapons: 47.5%
Air pollution: 45%
