Poll: Perception of freedom on decline in America

A new poll shows the percentage of Americans who are satisfied with their freedom in the United States has dropped from 91 percent in 2006 to 79 percent in 2013.

The Gallup poll released Tuesday said the percentage of those who are dissatisfied with that freedom has doubled from 9 percent to 21 percent.

Gallup regularly polls 120 countries on this index, and the US is no longer one of the top ranking countries based on people’s satisfaction with freedom to choose what to do in life. The US now stands in the 36th rank.

“The decline in perceived freedom among Americans could be attributed to the US economy,” Gallup mentioned. “Many Americans continue to lack confidence in the economy and see it as one of the biggest problems facing the country.”

Gallup also asks people whether they believe “corruption is widespread throughout their government”. Americans increasingly reply yes.

According to the poll, people in the US have an increasing perception of widespread corruption in their government – 79 percent said yes in 2013 compared to 59 percent in 2006.

The polling institute attributes the corruption perception with many issues, among which are “issues such as the IRS targeting of conservative groups and National Security Agency leaks.”

The poll concludes that “Americans will no doubt be celebrating their freedom this Fourth of July”, but “leaders in the US should be aware of a growing number of Americans who are dissatisfied with the freedom in their own lives.”