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from the The-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is... dept.
Chapman University recently completed its third annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears (2016). The survey asked respondents about 65 fears across a broad range of categories including fears about the government, crime, the environment, the future, technology, health, natural disasters, as well as fears of public speaking, spiders, heights, ghosts and many other personal anxieties.
In addition to the set of fears examined in previous waves, the survey team took a closer look at two fear related phenomena: Americans' beliefs in conspiracy theories and fear of Muslims, sometimes referred to as "Islamophobia."
In its third year, the annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears included more than 1,500 adult participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The 2016 survey data is organized into five basic categories: personal fears, conspiracy theories, terrorism, natural disasters, paranormal fears, and fear of Muslims.
The 2016 survey shows that the top 10 things Americans fear the most are:
- Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015)
- Terrorist attacks
- Not having enough money for the future
- Being a victim of terror
- Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition (new)
- People I love dying
- Economic or financial collapse
- Identity theft
- People I love becoming seriously ill
- The Affordable Health Care Act/"Obamacare"
http://phys.org/news/2016-10-americans-annual-survey-american.html
A comprehensive list of the all the fears is available from The Chapman Survey on American Fears 2016.
A video is also available at: https://youtu.be/Rr0XAFbe8b8
Previously:
What Americans Fear Most (2014)
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Monday October 17 2016, @02:46AM
Should stop thinking of our politicians as leaders. They're not leaders, they're social surfers, riding the waves whichever way they go.
Voters have lots of power, but many are such suckers for fearmongering. They really do control the country, if clumsily. Mostly, if things aren't completely horrible, voters vote for the status quo. Getting experimental is scary, and will not be voted for unless not doing anything looks worse. I was a bit surprised Obama's 2008 campaign on "change" went over so well, but then it did come on the heels of the market crash of 2008 and the start of the Great Recession. Mostly, just what is the status quo and which candidates best maintain it are the questions.
The peddlers of fear have some control, but very limited. Propaganda campaigns can warp public opinion only so far. And there is fierce competition to get heard above all the noise. The slickest propaganda campaign in the world can't get any traction if it goes largely unnoticed and unheard. Even when it works, as the whole fear that Iraq had Weapons Of Mass Destruction did, when people discover it was all a lie, they're going to be very skeptical. Suppose Jeb Bush was about to become POTUS. Is there any way he could sucker the entire nation into going on a crusade, throw a war, Iraq 3.0, or heck, do Iran? I doubt it. Brother George wrecked executive credibility, or as they try to view it, "spent" their credibility. The question of President Jeb! is even more academic than it seems at first glance, as the negative opinions that would stop Jeb from going to war against Iran or Syria or whoever, are the same ones that lead to his presidential campaign fizzling so early.