WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans still believe “big government” represents the biggest threat to the U.S. in the future, but the 57% saying so is down from percentages near 70% between 2013 and 2016. At the same time, 37% of Americans say “big business” is most threatening, essentially tying the high in Gallup’s trend. Just 5% of U.S. adults regard “big labor” as the greatest threat.
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The current results are based on a Dec. 1-15 Gallup poll. Gallup first asked Americans to assess the threat posed by government, business and labor in 1965 and has done so periodically since.
Government has always been identified as the biggest threat, although the margins over business and labor were smaller in the earlier years of the trend than they have been since the 1980s. By then, concerns about government had risen to the majority level, dipping below 50% only once. The exception came in 2002 amid corporate accounting scandals that plagued Enron and other companies, when 38% chose big business and 47% big government.
In the 1960s, more Americans identified big labor rather than big business as the biggest threat — but in the 1970s and 1980s, the two were about even, each averaging around 20%. Since the 1990s, big government has typically been the clear majority response, with no more than 11% naming big labor and at least 21% naming big business as the biggest threat to the U.S.
Fewer Independents, Democrats See Government as Top Threat
Democrats’ and independents’ views of which entity poses the greatest threat have changed substantially over the past decade, with both groups showing double-digit increases in the percentages naming big business as the biggest threat and double-digit decreases for big government. Although down from 67% in 2016, a majority of independents (55%) still cite big government, compared with 40% naming big business (up from 26%). But Democrats’ top mention has switched from government (51%) to business (56%).
Republicans’ opinions have not changed meaningfully since 2016; they overwhelmingly identify big government (77%) as the biggest threat.
Throughout the past decade, no more than 7% of Americans in any party group have named big labor as the biggest threat.
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One in Three See ‘Big Tech’ as Greatest Threat When Included
In 1965, Gallup could not have foreseen the influence that technology would come to have on U.S. society. This year, Gallup asked an alternative version of the question that included “big technology” as a fourth choice. This modified version of the trend question was asked in December among a nationally representative online sample using the Gallup Panel.
When included, big technology is viewed as the biggest threat by 32% of U.S. adults, ranking second to big government at 45% and ahead of big business at 20%, with only 3% choosing big labor.
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With big technology included, six in 10 Republicans regard big government as the biggest threat, while 27% choose big technology. Big government also edges out big technology, 43% to 34%, among independents. Democrats divide fairly evenly in saying that big government (35%), big technology (34%) and big business (29%) represent the biggest threat to the U.S. in the future.
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Bottom Line
As they have for six decades, Americans perceive big government as a bigger threat to the U.S. in the future than either big business or big labor. However, fewer identify big government as the top threat than did so in the 2010s; instead, a higher percentage say big business is, with the 37% doing so essentially matching the record high for that response. But when big technology is added as a choice, it eclipses big business for second place, although it still trails big government by a considerable margin.
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Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
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