Gallup poll: Despite a sharp decline in the United States' violent crime rate, the majority of Americans continue to beli
Wed, 11/09/2011 - 12:49 — vikki
Most Americans Believe Crime in U.S. Is Worsening
Slight majority rate U.S. crime problem as highly serious; 11% say this about local crime
by Lydia Saad
Slight majority rate U.S. crime problem as highly serious; 11% say this about local crime
by Lydia Saad
PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite a sharp decline in the United States' violent crime rate since the mid-1990s, the majority of Americans continue to believe the nation's crime problem is getting worse, as they have for most of the past decade. Currently, 68% say there is more crime in the U.S. than there was a year ago, 17% say less, and 8% volunteer that crime is unchanged......The government's U.S. crime statistics have been improving steadily over the past 15 years, but several Gallup measures of Americans' perceptions of crime, after growing more positive for a brief period a decade ago, have edged back to a more highly negative outlook. More than half now say the nation's crime problem is extremely or very serious, and two-thirds say it is getting worse.
This unwarranted pessimism may stem from the imperfect indications of crime that Americans receive from the news and other sources, as well as Americans' overall mood. In line with this point, the view that crime is worsening could reflect the broader decline in Americans' optimism about the country, as satisfaction with the way things are going declined from 71% in 1999 to 7% in 2008; and, after slightly higher ratings in 2009 and 2010, it is now back down to 13%. Whatever the case, there is a positive story to be told about the nation's violent crime problem that Americans haven't yet fully heard or absorbed.
Full story, including graphs, is at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/150464/Americans-Believe-Crime-Worsening.aspx