A poll shows that 62% of voters think that the United States is on the decline

Only 26% believe it is on the rise. Most Republicans — 76% — think the country is in decline, and 64% of independents agree. Views among Democrats are more evenly split: 41% say on the rise and 43% say on the decline. There's a slight gender gap as men (64%) are somewhat more likely than women (59%) to take the negative view of the country's progress. Across generations there is substantial agreement: young voters ages 35 and under (58%) are about as likely as seniors 65 and over (57%) to think things are on a downward slide.