Pessimism about politics is common across Western countries, fueled by major conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, harms from right-left extremism, stagnating economies, inequality, corruption, terrorism, racism, big tech concerns, mass extinctions, and the climate crisis. Many people avoid engaging with current events through news media because it increases anxiety. A Reuters Institute survey found 40% of respondents in about 50 countries sometimes or often avoid the news, up sharply from 2017. Surveys show high shares of people believe their countries are on the wrong track in France, Britain, and Germany, with lower but still notable negativity in the US. Global threat perceptions vary by country, and disenchantment with democracy and political leaders is widespread, deepening divisions and polarization.
"Disenchantment with democracy and dissatisfaction with political leaders is a ubiquitous, polarising western phenomenon. Divisions grow entrenched. Keir Starmer, with a 27% approval rating, according to Statista, is struggling to survive. Yet Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and France's president, Emmanuel Macron, are even less popular, on 19% and 18% respectively."
#political-pessimism #news-avoidance #western-public-opinion #international-threats #democracy-dissatisfaction
Read at www.theguardian.com
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