Nearly half say feds are an ‘immediate threat’

Nearly half of Americans say the federal government poses an immediate threat to citizens’ rights and freedoms, according to results from a poll released Monday that show an upward trend over the past decade of the percentage of Americans who see the government as a threat.

The poll found that 49 percent of Americans think the government poses an immediate threat to their rights and freedoms, up from 46 percent in 2013.

By contrast, across the four most recent surveys conducted during the Democratic Obama administration, the partisan gap flipped, with Republicans significantly more likely to agree.

The poll also found that, while no single issue dominated, the three most pressing issues identified by respondents were dissatisfaction with the government, the economy in general, and immigration.

Currently, Republicans are twice as likely to distrust the government as Democrats.

“Violating freedoms and civil liberties” was a reason given by another 15 percent, while gun control and Second Amendment violations was the issue for 12 percent. That figure surges to 65 percent among Republicans, but less than half that for Democrats, at 32 percent. The Republicans and Democrats “flipped in their probability of holding these views when administrations changed in 2009” according to hngn. Meanwhile, only 24 percent of Republicans or independents who lean Republican felt the federal government was an immediate threat during this time.

Is the most risky country in the world the United States of America? Plus, numerous other measures show that the people give their government some of the lowest approval and trust ratings in the measures’ history.

“From the people’s perspective, then, a focus on the appropriate role for government should be at the forefront of the nation’s continuing political discourse”, Newport said in his report.

Its latest survey results are based on telephone interviews with 1,025 adults ages 18 or older conducted nationwide September 9-13. The survey has a 4 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level.