A recent Gallup poll asked whether respondents were satisfied with the way the United States is going. The percentage of those who are satisfied is now down to 19%. Is it health care? Unemployment? Wages? Or something else?
I think it is the economy in general. I feel people may just be fed up with how the U.S is going. As you can see, after Obama was sworn into office (January of 2009), the happiness of people sky rocketed. Now it's coming back down after they realize he won't be able to fix the economy overnight. At least that's my opinion as to why the 'happiness' level is the way it is.
I agree with Kiran that it's the economy in general. It's been hard times for a lot of people and there haven't been many reasons to be happy. Unemployment levels are raising, real wages are decreasing and home foreclosures are still looming on the horizon for many. With only a little light at the end of the tunnel, people seem to be hanging their heads and just trudging on. A
I think that the unhappiness is partially due to the overall bad health of the economy. It is kind of metaphorical to weather. During the winter, people are obviously going to want sunlight. After a season of cloudiness and cold weather (or financial crisis), they really just want spring (a better economy).
But I think the more significant portion of it is unemployment or people having a a general dissatisfaction with their job. Although I hate to admit it, a lot of peoples' source of happiness, or at least a feeling of security in life, comes from money. Because of the absence of that support system or inability to be more leisurely with money, people are really unhappy. T
Personally the economy has not affected me as much as others, and it would lead you to assume that i am happy with the way the country is progressing. This is not the case, i am ciming very very close to despising all aspects of the federal government, democrats and republicans alike, everyday i hear more and more about how Capitol Hill is paralyzed and everything that is going on helps out one of the larger companies, or helps to foster somekind of growth abroad.
I see the riots that have been propogating in Greece in recent weeks and wonder how long it will take before something like that happens in America, the government simply is not working for and by the people anymore. Change within structural framework of the system has been tried, that was Obama's flagship statement, and where has it gotten us? maybe something in the framework needs to change. I may be misinformed, but i've seen enough political blunders mishaps, and outright shitty behavior ( the republican senator last week delaying a bill to extend unemployment benefits and then try to get people to sympathize and feel sorry for him because he missed the beginning of a vital baseball game on the television) in the government for me to want to tear it to the ground. To be honest typing that simply made me furious, with the stupidity of the average beaurocrat, what power on earth allows these idiots ( democrats as well, i've heard statements made be congressmen in the Dont ask dont tell argument, make the point that by dissecting someone you could find that we all have arms and legs, personally i dont need to cut someone open to see that.) into power, they simply have no brains. I want someone in congress who i can find safety with, whom has visible intelligence, and viable questions and ideas.
Ill bring that rant to a close, but the sooner the status quo in washington is shattered the better off our nation will be.
I think that a huge factor in the level of disatisfaction is due to the fact that a lot of Americans have lost a great deal of confidence in the federal gov, the economy, and just the country in general. I know that I tend to have a negative outlook on things of that nature. But think about it, if you were to take a typical American citizen who lost their job, has a family to take care of and bills to pay of course they're going to be unhappy with the current situation. One thing that always increasesmmy level of frusteration with the government as a whole is this whole health care fiasco. Not because of the actual health care bill itself, but because it is a topic that the public has been constantly hearing about for the past year and it seems as though absolutely nothing has been accomplished! Its things like that that cause confidence level to decrease and people to become unhappy.
I think that alot of the dissatisfaction comes from teh hype of the media. When the economy plummeted, the media went crazy about it, and is still crazy about it. I'm not saying AT ALL that we arent in a bad situation, but rather, that it is amplified and created worse by the media. When everywhere you look--the T.v., the internet, the newspapers--say that Americans are unhappy and dissattisfied, teh reaction is to talk about it with others. The more this news is passed around, the more the general tone of everyone DOES become (or becomes even moreso) dissattisfied. A bad situation will become worse in someone's eyes when they perceive that it is also bad for others. A
I think that Cierra has a very good point about the media. Like she said, times are bad, but the media makes them seem so much worst with all the news stories and constant updates. Aside from the media, I think that the unemployment rate and peoples wages being reduced has a lot to do with the unhappiness. People have less money to spend and most of the time doing things you like cost money (in most but not all cases). I know that money is not everything, but money does come with a certain "happiness value." We all know getting a nice paycheck is a pretty good feeling and can put a nice smile on someone's face. We all know when someone yells and cheers in a casino that they just won big. Yes, they are having a good time with their friends at the blackjack table, but winning the bucks makes those moments even better. More money equals, overall, more happiness to some extent. (A)
I think in a time like this with so much economic uncertainty, it is hard to have a high approval rating of the government. I think most American's are just frustrated with the federal government's seeming inability to work together. However, in times of need. For example, it joined together in assuring that banks received money to avoid another depression. However, the majority of people are unhappy because of unemployment and low prospects of finding work. While money can't buy happiness, people need to work in order to maintain a lifestyle, and when it is endangered, people are not happy. A
It's actually the work of media influences that makes people frustrated. I mean, not everything can be perfect all the time. As if that's not enough, media would focus on these issues and make us unsatisfied with our current standing. America is a well developed country, we cannot compare the GDP growth rate of America to another developing country who's experiencing 5% or higher growth rate. Also, economy fluctuates, people tends to complain about the bad times much more than enjoying the "good times". Unemployment rate is definitely very high. People are also reluctant to spend, withholding their money, slowing down the economy. Some people just wish they don't have to do any work and make the government do everything. But government are made from people and their values/ideas. Government is supported by people, and taxes. Government can't do everything for us. I think people should invest more time working hard and economy will turn good again soon.
I think that the cause which is contributing most to the unhappiness of the American populace is the nature of the economy. The declining economy has led to unemployment, declines in wages and the collapse of industries which generated huge sums of money and employed thousands of people. Most of the things that people are currently most unhappy about in our nation are due to the economy.
I really really hope that the poll got more specific than "the way united states is going". That's just a ridiculous vague question that isn't really about anything. I'm satisfied, but only because I don't even know what that means.
I think it is the economy in general. I feel people may just be fed up with how the U.S is going. As you can see, after Obama was sworn into office (January of 2009), the happiness of people sky rocketed. Now it's coming back down after they realize he won't be able to fix the economy overnight. At least that's my opinion as to why the 'happiness' level is the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kiran that it's the economy in general. It's been hard times for a lot of people and there haven't been many reasons to be happy. Unemployment levels are raising, real wages are decreasing and home foreclosures are still looming on the horizon for many. With only a little light at the end of the tunnel, people seem to be hanging their heads and just trudging on. A
ReplyDeleteI think that the unhappiness is partially due to the overall bad health of the economy. It is kind of metaphorical to weather. During the winter, people are obviously going to want sunlight. After a season of cloudiness and cold weather (or financial crisis), they really just want spring (a better economy).
ReplyDeleteBut I think the more significant portion of it is unemployment or people having a a general dissatisfaction with their job. Although I hate to admit it, a lot of peoples' source of happiness, or at least a feeling of security in life, comes from money. Because of the absence of that support system or inability to be more leisurely with money, people are really unhappy. T
Personally the economy has not affected me as much as others, and it would lead you to assume that i am happy with the way the country is progressing. This is not the case, i am ciming very very close to despising all aspects of the federal government, democrats and republicans alike, everyday i hear more and more about how Capitol Hill is paralyzed and everything that is going on helps out one of the larger companies, or helps to foster somekind of growth abroad.
ReplyDeleteI see the riots that have been propogating in Greece in recent weeks and wonder how long it will take before something like that happens in America, the government simply is not working for and by the people anymore. Change within structural framework of the system has been tried, that was Obama's flagship statement, and where has it gotten us? maybe something in the framework needs to change. I may be misinformed, but i've seen enough political blunders mishaps, and outright shitty behavior ( the republican senator last week delaying a bill to extend unemployment benefits and then try to get people to sympathize and feel sorry for him because he missed the beginning of a vital baseball game on the television) in the government for me to want to tear it to the ground. To be honest typing that simply made me furious, with the stupidity of the average beaurocrat, what power on earth allows these idiots ( democrats as well, i've heard statements made be congressmen in the Dont ask dont tell argument, make the point that by dissecting someone you could find that we all have arms and legs, personally i dont need to cut someone open to see that.) into power, they simply have no brains. I want someone in congress who i can find safety with, whom has visible intelligence, and viable questions and ideas.
Ill bring that rant to a close, but the sooner the status quo in washington is shattered the better off our nation will be.
I think that a huge factor in the level of disatisfaction is due to the fact that a lot of Americans have lost a great deal of confidence in the federal gov, the economy, and just the country in general. I know that I tend to have a negative outlook on things of that nature. But think about it, if you were to take a typical American citizen who lost their job, has a family to take care of and bills to pay of course they're going to be unhappy with the current situation.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that always increasesmmy level of frusteration with the government as a whole is this whole health care fiasco. Not because of the actual health care bill itself, but because it is a topic that the public has been constantly hearing about for the past year and it seems as though absolutely nothing has been accomplished! Its things like that that cause confidence level to decrease and people to become unhappy.
I think that alot of the dissatisfaction comes from teh hype of the media. When the economy plummeted, the media went crazy about it, and is still crazy about it. I'm not saying
ReplyDeleteAT ALL that we arent in a bad situation, but rather, that it is amplified and created worse by the media. When everywhere you look--the T.v., the internet, the newspapers--say that Americans are unhappy and dissattisfied, teh reaction is to talk about it with others. The more this news is passed around, the more the general tone of everyone DOES become (or becomes even moreso) dissattisfied. A bad situation will become worse in someone's eyes when they perceive that it is also bad for others.
A
I think that Cierra has a very good point about the media. Like she said, times are bad, but the media makes them seem so much worst with all the news stories and constant updates. Aside from the media, I think that the unemployment rate and peoples wages being reduced has a lot to do with the unhappiness. People have less money to spend and most of the time doing things you like cost money (in most but not all cases). I know that money is not everything, but money does come with a certain "happiness value." We all know getting a nice paycheck is a pretty good feeling and can put a nice smile on someone's face. We all know when someone yells and cheers in a casino that they just won big. Yes, they are having a good time with their friends at the blackjack table, but winning the bucks makes those moments even better. More money equals, overall, more happiness to some extent. (A)
ReplyDeleteI think in a time like this with so much economic uncertainty, it is hard to have a high approval rating of the government. I think most American's are just frustrated with the federal government's seeming inability to work together. However, in times of need. For example, it joined together in assuring that banks received money to avoid another depression. However, the majority of people are unhappy because of unemployment and low prospects of finding work. While money can't buy happiness, people need to work in order to maintain a lifestyle, and when it is endangered, people are not happy. A
ReplyDeleteIt's actually the work of media influences that makes people frustrated. I mean, not everything can be perfect all the time. As if that's not enough, media would focus on these issues and make us unsatisfied with our current standing. America is a well developed country, we cannot compare the GDP growth rate of America to another developing country who's experiencing 5% or higher growth rate.
ReplyDeleteAlso, economy fluctuates, people tends to complain about the bad times much more than enjoying the "good times".
Unemployment rate is definitely very high. People are also reluctant to spend, withholding their money, slowing down the economy.
Some people just wish they don't have to do any work and make the government do everything. But government are made from people and their values/ideas. Government is supported by people, and taxes. Government can't do everything for us. I think people should invest more time working hard and economy will turn good again soon.
I think that the cause which is contributing most to the unhappiness of the American populace is the nature of the economy. The declining economy has led to unemployment, declines in wages and the collapse of industries which generated huge sums of money and employed thousands of people. Most of the things that people are currently most unhappy about in our nation are due to the economy.
ReplyDeleteI really really hope that the poll got more specific than "the way united states is going". That's just a ridiculous vague question that isn't really about anything. I'm satisfied, but only because I don't even know what that means.
ReplyDelete