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Majority of voters believe America is on the brink of civil war, says national survey

The study has found that a majority of the countrymen feel that divisions -- political, racial and class -- are worsening. An overwhelming 88 percent said they are tired with the unsocial and rude behavior of many politicians.
UPDATED FEB 27, 2020
Donald Trump (Source : Getty Images)
Donald Trump (Source : Getty Images)

The United States of America had last seen a civil war in the middle of the 19th century. It had succeeded in overcoming the challenge at that time. But it could be nearing another one if the findings of a recent national survey are to be believed. According to Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Battleground Civility Poll, the second component of the Battleground Poll, a majority of Americans believe divisions (political, racial and class) in the country are worsening and 67 percent of them fear the US is close to a civil war.

The Battleground Poll is a joint bipartisan survey conducted by Republican and Democrat pollsters Ed Goeas and Celinda Lake, respectively. 
“The majority of Americans believe that we are two-thirds of the way to being on the edge of civil war. That to me is a very pessimistic place,” Mo Elleithee, executive director of the Georgetown Institute, was quoted as saying by Washington Examiner.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pelosi later said Trump referred to her as a "third-grade politician.” (Photo by Shealah Craighead/The White House via Getty Images)

Under the Civility Poll, the voters were asked on a 0-100 scale to rate the level of political polarization in the country. The value of 100 was “the edge of the civil war” and the mean response that was received was 67.23

There were some deep contradictions that were found within the voters in the latest poll. While they broadly agree with the idea that US’ political culture has become too uncivil and lacks a focus on finding answers to problems and that the leaders should go for common ground and compromise, an equal number of people want the leaders to “stand up to the other side” and to “powerful special interests”. 

Elleithee, a veteran of four presidential campaigns, also said while announcing the results that the political division can make the 2020 presidential election the worst in modern history. “It will be a sort of race to the bottom, or has the potential to be a race to the bottom,” he said.

The researchers also had their share of opinions.

'President Trump did not start the culture of rudeness'

Lake, for instance, conceded that the polarization in the US today is “getting worse”. Goeas, on the other hand, said it is not President Donald Trump who has started the rudeness in today’s American political culture. He said Trump is a symptom of where the country is and not the disease. 

While 88 percent of the respondents in the latest survey said they were frustrated by the uncivil and rude behavior of many of the politicians (it was 90 percent in April), 84 percent also said that they were tired with leaders compromising on their values and ideas and wanted them to stand up to the other side. A staggering 84 percent agreed that the behavior that was seen as unacceptable earlier is now accepted as normal.

Last month, days after an informal impeachment inquiry was launched against him over allegations that he misused power by pressuring a foreign government to beat a domestic political rival, Trump had threatened his loyalists that the US will face a civil war if he is removed from the office.

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