Americans still see big government as the biggest threat to the country’s future, but fewer feel that way than a decade ago.
A new Gallup poll shows 57% of U.S. adults say big government poses the greatest threat. That number has dropped sharply from nearly 70% between 2013 and 2016. At the same time, concern about big business has grown, with 37% now calling it the biggest threat.
Just 5% of adults say big labor represents the top danger.
The findings come from a Gallup poll conducted Dec. 1–15. Gallup has asked versions of this question since 1965, tracking how Americans weigh the influence of government, business, and labor.
Big government has topped the list for decades. However, the gap between government and business concerns has narrowed compared with earlier years. The only time business came close to overtaking government was in 2002, during high-profile corporate scandals involving Enron and other companies.
Views have shifted most among Democrats and independents. Over the past decade, both groups have grown more skeptical of big business while backing away from seeing government as the main threat.
A majority of independents, 55%, still point to big government. But that share has fallen from 67% in 2016. Meanwhile, 40% of independents now name big business, up from 26%.
Among Democrats, the change is even more striking. Their top concern has flipped. A majority, 56%, now say big business is the biggest threat, compared with 51% who named big government a decade ago.
Republicans stand apart from those trends. Their views have remained largely unchanged since 2016. More than three-quarters of Republicans, 77%, continue to see big government as the biggest threat. Only small shares in any party identify big labor.
Gallup also tested a newer version of the question by adding “big technology” as a fourth option. That version was asked to a nationally representative online sample using the Gallup Panel.
When big technology enters the mix, it ranks second overall. About 32% of adults say big tech represents the greatest threat. That places it behind big government at 45%, but ahead of big business at 20%.
Party differences remain clear. Six in 10 Republicans still choose big government, while 27% select big technology. Independents also rank government first, followed closely by technology. Democrats split their views more evenly, dividing their responses among big government, big technology, and big business.
For six decades, Americans have consistently viewed big government as the largest potential threat to the nation’s future. That perception still holds. But it has weakened since the 2010s, as concern about big business has climbed to near-record levels.
When big technology becomes part of the conversation, it overtakes business as the second-biggest worry. Even so, it still trails government by a wide margin.
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