DHAKA: Americans enter 2014 with a profoundly negative view of their government, expressing little hope that elected officials can or will solve the nation’s biggest problems, a new poll finds.

Half say America’s system of democracy needs either ‘a lot of changes’ or a complete overhaul, according to the poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Just 1 in 20 says it works well and needs no changes.

Americans, who have a reputation for optimism, have a sharply pessimistic take on their government after years of disappointment in Washington.

The percentage of Americans saying the nation is heading in the right direction hasn’t topped 50 in about a decade. In the new poll, 70% lack confidence in the government’s ability ‘to make progress on the important problems and issues facing the country in 2014’.

The poll comes about two months after partisan gridlock prompted the first government shutdown in 17 years.

People feel somewhat better about their personal lives. Most have at least some confidence that they’ll be able to handle their own problems in the coming year.

A narrow majority say they’d do a better job running the country than today’s leaders in Washington, reports The Times of India.

Local and state governments inspire more faith than the federal government, according to the poll, with 45% at least moderately confident in their state government and 54% expressing that much confidence in their local government.

BDST: 1513 HRS, JAN 02, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor