Poll: Americans split on personal, country's future

In this Dec. 5, 2019 photo, a view of the south side of the White House in Washington decorated for Christmas. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Friday finds only about 1 in 10 Americans expect a downturn in their own lives in 2020. But about 4 in 10 say the way things are going nationwide will get worse in the year ahead. 2020 is an election year, and that might have something to do with it: Most Democrats and Republicans alike say they're dissatisfied with the state of politics. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In this Dec. 5, 2019 photo, a view of the south side of the White House in Washington decorated for Christmas. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Friday finds only about 1 in 10 Americans expect a downturn in their own lives in 2020. But about 4 in 10 say the way things are going nationwide will get worse in the year ahead. 2020 is an election year, and that might have something to do with it: Most Democrats and Republicans alike say they're dissatisfied with the state of politics. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) - At home and in their own lives, Americans by and large have an upbeat view of the year to come. When it comes to how the country will fare in 2020, well, that's another matter.

A new poll released Friday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that close to 4 in 10 Americans expect a better year ahead for them personally, while another half expect things to stay about the same. Only about 1 in 10 expect a downturn in their own lives in 2020.

America's mood takes a darker turn when it comes to the year ahead for the country overall, with about 4 in 10 saying the way things are going nationwide will get worse. Only about 3 in 10 think things will get better for America overall in the next 12 months.

"It's going to be fine for me. I'll always be fine no matter what happens, I'm that kind of person," said Leslie Schulgren, a 75-year-old Democrat and retired science teacher in Atlanta. But, she added, "this particular year, 2020, is not going to be pretty - there's going to be too much fighting."

2020 is an election year, and, perhaps not unexpectedly, that might have something to do with it: Most Democrats and Republicans alike say they're dissatisfied with the state of politics.

"Everybody is Republican or Democrat, and there's less in between," said Caleb Jud, a 29-year-old customer service representative in Cincinnati. Jud is a left-leaning independent who supports Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and he is optimistic that the old way of politics is at a breaking point.

"They've been saying for years that the middle class is shrinking, but it's starting to seem now that it's not just a buzzword," Jud said.

Roberta Hunt, a 78-year-old Republican in Santa Ana, California, is also frustrated by partisanship. "It'd be fine if we could eliminate the Democrats," she said of the political system.

Hunt and her husband still have to work to support themselves, and she's not optimistic that their situation will improve. But she does think the country is on the right track - "there's less poverty, more people at work."

Republicans such as Hunt are more likely than Democrats to express optimism that the way things are going in the country will improve, 54% to 11%. They're also somewhat more likely to feel that their personal situation will improve, 50% to 33%.

The poll also finds few Americans are confident the government will make progress this year on the issues they care about, with pocketbook and health care-related issues topping the country's to-do list.

Asked to name their top five priorities for government action in 2020, rather than picking from a list, about 6 in 10 Americans identified economic issues - including jobs and unemployment, the federal budget and trade. Half said health care. While Democrats and Republicans were about as likely to want a focus on at least one economic issue, 15% of Republicans identified trade specifically as a priority, compared with just 5% of Democrats. Democrats were more likely than Republicans to name issues related to health care.

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