American voters are distrustful, angry


An end-of-August Quinnipiac University poll shows that 2016's presidential candidates are playing to a tough crowd. A full 71 percent of American voters are unhappy with the way things are going in the nation today, with 41 percent emphasizing that they are "very dissatisfied," results show. A sliver of the population, only 2 percent, are "very satisfied" with the state of the U.S.; another tiny 2 percent of the population trusts the government "almost all the time," with over a third of voters trusting the government "hardly ever."
At least they're consistent? In a similar poll last August, 76 percent of Americans said they had no confidence that their children's lives would be better than theirs — a record.
"Most American voters sing sadly, along with The Rolling Stones, that they are unable to find any satisfaction with the way things are going in the nation or with the federal government," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, said of the results.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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