AP Poll Confirms What We Already Knew: 2016 Was A Crappy Year For America

But Many Are Hopeful For A Better 2017, Annual Survey Finds

Only 18 percent of Americans believe things got better for the country in 2016, down from 29 percent at the end of last year, according to a poll released Monday by the Associated Press and the Times Square Alliance. 

The annual survey also found that 33 percent of Americans believe things got worse for the country in 2016, up from 21 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, 47 percent said things were unchanged for the country this year, down slightly from 49 percent last year. 

Those who believe things got worse for America in 2016 cited Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race, according to the AP: 

University of Miami professor Benjamin Alsup said he needed only three words to explain why 2016 felt worse for him: “Trump, Trump, Trump!”

Robert Greenstone, a New York commercial real estate broker, said the political discourse leading up to Republican Donald Trump’s election as president played havoc with people’s emotions.

“The amount of disinformation made people suspect of everything and everyone, even their neighbors,” he said.

On the bright side, 55 percent said they believe things will be better for them personally in 2017, a 12-point increase from last year. 

Democrats were more likely to say things got worse for the country in 2016, while Republicans were more likely to say 2017 will be better for them personally, the poll found.