Americans overwhelmingly think US is 'greatly divided' and will only get worse, according to new poll

Most Americans believe the United States has become a divided nation, according to a a new poll released less than two weeks before crucial midterm elections..

On Thursday, the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released findings from a poll that found 8 in 10 Americans were “greatly divided” when it comes to important values. Thirty-nine per cent believe that the great divide will only get worse compared to the 20 per cent who believe the nation will get less divided over time.

Other findings in the study found that the majority of Americans—77 per cent—are unhappy, or dissatisfied, with the current state of U.S. politics. While most Americans find more satisfaction with progress in their state and local community, there seems to also be a divide on the current state of the union. The poll found 58 per cent of Americans are disapprove of “the way things are going in the country,” whereas only 25 per cent said they are satisfied.

There is also a significant split on Americans’ assessment of Donald Trump’s job as president. According to the poll, about 59 per cent of Americans expressed disapproval, or dissatisfaction, of the job Donald Trump is doing as president. Forty per cent approve.

The great American divide can be seen strongest along partisan lines. When it comes to Mr Trump’s role as President of the U.S., the poll found that 83 per cent of Republicans approve. On the other hand, 92 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Independents said they disapprove of the current president’s handling of the office.

Although the majority Americans expressed dissatisfaction with income inequality, race relations and environmental causes, there are is a massive split among how Republican and Democratic party view these issues. For example, 8 in 10 Democrats said issues regarding the environment, race, and income inequality are important. Only a third of Republicans said the same.

The poll was conducted with 1, 152 American adults from October 11 to 14.

Regarding economic inequality, 83 per cent of Democrats said they are dissatisfied about the gap between the wealthy and the poor. In comparison, only 43 per cent of Republicans expressed dissatisfaction. When it comes to climate change and environmental issues, 75 per cent of Democrats expressed dissatisfaction compared to 32 per cent of Republicans. Finally, when it comes to race issues in the U.S., 75 per cent of Democrats said they are dissatisfied, whereas nearly 50 per cent of Republicans said they did too.

When it comes to the midterm elections, both Republicans and Democrats—44 per cent and 54 per cent respectively—believe candidates are not talking about the issues that matter most to Americans. According to the poll, the top issues for Americans currently are “health care, education, economic growth, Social Security and crime, each of which was called very important by at least three-quarters of Americans.”

While most Americans find more satisfaction with progress in their state and local community, there seems to also be a divide on the current state of the union. The poll found 58 per cent of Americans are disapprove of “the way things are going in the country,” whereas only 25 per cent said they are satisfied.

The findings from the poll suggest that politics in the U.S. is reaching a boiling point with almost no antidote in sight. The most distinct divide can be seen with one faction rallying around Mr Trump and another resistancing or pushing back against his administration. As of right now, the only common ground the majority Americans can come together on is admitting that, as a nation, they stand divided.