The following is an excerpt from Gallup News.
Coming off several challenging years, Americans enter 2023 with a mostly gloomy outlook for the U.S. as majorities predict negative conditions in 12 of 13 economic, political, societal and international arenas.
When offered opposing outcomes on each issue, about eight in 10 U.S. adults think 2023 will be a year of economic difficulty with higher rather than lower taxes and a growing rather than shrinking budget deficit.
More than six in 10 think prices will rise at a high rate and the stock market will fall in the year ahead, both of which happened in 2022.
In addition, just over half of Americans predict that unemployment will increase in 2023, an economic problem the U.S. was spared in 2022.
On the domestic front, 90% of Americans expect 2023 will be a year of political conflict in the U.S., 72% think the crime rate will rise, and 56% predict there will be many strikes by labor unions.
Regarding world affairs, 85% of U.S. adults predict the year ahead will be fraught with international discord rather than peaceful.
And while 64% think the United States’ power in the world will decline, 73% think China’s power will increase.
However, 64% of Americans expect Russia’s power in the world will decrease in 2023, likely a reflection of that country’s recent setbacks in its war against Ukraine. (Continued..)
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